People think what I do is so wonderful because I interview stars. And I have to admit that when I first started working at Sassy in 1987 I was excited about that part of my job for the first couple of months，anyway. Then I noticed how stars would fool me around for months. I could never get enough time with a star to find out anything interesting, and some acted just simply rudely. I started hating the way I was treated, and I was really disappointed to see that these people I had worshipped (崇拜）before were pretty ordinary. So I decided I would just tell the truth instead of keeping up their myths(神秘）.If the star was a bad guy, I would say so. If I thought anyone was stupid, I did not hold back that information.
I thought readers would appreciate that kind of honesty. Surprisingly, many of them hated me for it. I have gotten so many attacks on my character. In their eyes，being famous is everything, even more desirable than being truly creative and talented
Why do we need stars? In fact, the media created stars to satisfy our basic need for gossip (闲话）.Over time, talking about people we have never met and we are never likely to meet has become what we are crazy about. Thus, some people are more interested in the personal lives of the stars than in the lives of their own family and their own friends. That is why it is so ridiculous when a star wants to discuss only his or her work in an interview -as we care. We want the dirt on their personal lives.
There is another reason we worship stars. As a whole, our society is not as religious as it once was. It seems that people need something to fulfill them the way religion once did. Star worship exists as an unfulfilling desire for true heroes.
We make them stars, but then their reputation makes us feel unimportant, and we truly feel better about ourselves when they die. I am part of this whole process. No wonder I feel soiled at the end of workday.
1.What are the stars like according to the author?
A. They always treat others rudely.
B. They always talk about something dull.
C . They are acutually ordinary people.
D. They are usually honest and polite,
2.We worship stars because ______.
A, we need true mental heroes to support us
B. we can learn something useful from famous stars
C. we concern about the stars ，family and friends
D. we like talking about the stars ，dressing styles
3.When the author is writing this article ，his tone sounds ______.
A, excited B. angry C. worried D. calm
4.What is the main purpose of the author writing the passage?
A. To show the disadvantages of working with stars.
B. To remind us not to worship famous stars blindly.
C. To laugh at the failures of stars he has interviewed.
D. To talk about the reasons why we worship stars.
A father in Wuhan, nicknamed "Eagle Dad" for his controversial parenting style, has dismissed critics' claims that he pushes his 4-year-old son too hard.
Police officer Wang Shaoyan came under the spotlight this month after his child took part in an 18-kilometer race in the Hubei provincial capital.
Some parents attacked his methods of extreme physical training, while others reacted strongly to his admission that he regularly exposes the youngster to cold showers. "I just want my son to reach his full potential," Wang said, adding that 4-year-old son not only runs 3 km every day he also takes cold showers from time to time to strengthen his body's resistance and willpower.
"He has never taken any sick leave from kindergarten," he said proudly. However, some parents find his methods too extreme.
"I'm not sure a 4-year-old is prepared for such intense training," said Zhang Ruxia a woman who gave birth to two boys in October in Tianjin. "You can have good intentions to train your child at an early age but you also have to consider whether he can take it." Wang responded by saying children are too young to make decisions, and it is up to parents to lead them on the right path.
"I read many materials before and the whole process is step-by-step without pushing or imposing on my son," Wang said. The father said he was not acting rashly but following a scientific way of education. He said the doubts about his methods reflect the declining standards of modern education.
"Many people in Japan give their children cold showers too ,and no one is fussing about it，" he said. The traditional way of education applied by most of his peers might not necessarily help bring the best out of a child he said.
Wang said in addition to the physical training, he has also laid out a detailed and particular program to strengthen the intelligence of the child. "I have hired some university students to expand his knowledge in natural sciences, while playing the video for English-language teaching as well," he said.
1.For what reason was Wang made known to the public?
A. He employed some college students to teach his son.
B. He made his kid take a long distance race.
C. He exposed his 4-year-old to cold showers.
D. He forced his youngster to run 3 km every day.
2.Which statement is supported by the parents who hold the opposite opinion?
A. Extreme physical training can explore children's full potentials.
B. Taking cold showers regularly is beneficial for children's development.
C. It's up to parents to lead children on the right path.
D. The way to educate children should agree with their age.
3.What does the phrase "fussing about” probably mean in the 8th paragraph?
A. Minding about. B. Paying attention to.
C. Laughing at. D. Talking about.
4.In Eagle Dad’s opinion, his extreme parenting was questioned because____.
A. he didn’t take it step by step in a scientific way
B. the highly tense work-out was misunderstood
C. modern education is not challenging enough
D. some parents were jealous of his success
I moved from Chicago to Brooklyn in July of 2010，just in time to watch my mother die. Our parents were both gone now； I took with me as many things they had left behind as I could.
I was out walking one Saturday later that summer when something caught my eye - a pale green dress. Laid out on the pavement was stuff like earrings, glass candle-holders, books. Hanging on the fence behind were a few pairs of jeans and a green cotton dress.
The woman, the host o£ the stoop (门廊）sale, looked like she was getting rid of a past she didn’t need or want. A dress that was too big for her. A chest of drawers that took up too much space, space she needed, maybe, to heal ，recover, or grow.
I wasn’t planning on buying anything really, but now I needed to show her that I appreciated her things and I would give them a safe home. Then I had my first stoop sale —I paid her 20 dollars for her green cotton dress and her blue candle-holder,
From that day on, I became interested in stoop sales. Some of my favorite things are from someone else’s life. I find no joy in shopping at regular stores any more. I love trying to sniff out a memory from a bud vase or a drawer. It is comforting to know that someone has breathed and laughed inside a sweater before me.
A few weeks ago, I carried my mother’s dresses to a friend’s stoop. These were her best items ，which were once worn by the most important person in my life. For many hours, I watched from across the path people advancing the stoop, some leaving with Mom1S dress. I used to think that her stuff was as forever sacred (神圣的）as my memory of her, I know now that once I love a scarf or shirt too dearly，it needs to find a new home. Even that green dress is long gone by now.
1.The author took her mother*s dresses after her death because ______
A. she valued the things used by her mom
B. she didn’t want to throw them, away
C. she could sell them later
D. they were her mom’s best items
2.From the passage, we know that ______.
A. the things the author bought from the woman are too big
B. the author is fond of imagining others’ life experiences
C. the author will never shop at regular stores any more
D. the author still keeps most of her mom’s things
3.In the last paragraph ，the author tries to tell us that ______.
A her mom is the number one person in her life
B. she didn’t really want to sell her mom’s dresses
C. she still thinks of her mother quite often
D. love doesn’t mean holding on to something tightly
4.It can be inferred that the author will ______.
A. not sell her own things at stoop sales
B. keep her mom in her mind in another way
C. be sad about all the memory of her mom
D. move to another city for a new life
Growing older is unavoidable while growing up is optional. These words have been passed on in the loving __ of Rose.
On the first day of school our professor challenged us to get to know someone, so I __ to find a little old lady looking at me with a smile. She said， "Hi,handsome! My name is Rose. I'm eighty-seven years old. Can I give you a _? " I laughed and _ responded, then followed a giant squeeze. “_ are you in college at such an innocent age?” I asked. "I'm here to meet a rich husband, get married, have a couple of kids..." I was __ what it was that motivated her to be taking on this _ at her age. “ I always dreamed of having a college education and now I _ it!” Later, we became friends.
Rose became a campus celebrity and she easily made friends _ she went. On one _ Rose was invited to speak at our football banquet. Her prepared cards dropped before she _ the speech. A little _ , she simply _ her throat and began," We do not stop playing _ we are old; we grow old because we stop playing. There are certain secrets to stay _ , being happy and achieving success. You've got to have a dream. When you _ your dreams, you die.”…
At the end of the year Rose finished her college education. One week after graduation Rose died _ in her sleep. Over two thousand college students _ her funeral in honor of the wonderful woman who taught by __ that it's never too late to be all you can possibly be.
Anybody can grow older, which doesn't _ any talent or ability. The key is to grow up by always finding opportunities in change.
1.A. care B. memory C. need D. want
2.A. turned up B. turned over C. turned around D. turned away
3.A. hug B. kiss C. hand D. gift
4.A. annoyingly B. impatiently C. absently D. enthusiastically
5.A. Who B. Why C. How D. When
6.A. curious B. positive C. obvious D. convinced
7.A. risk B. opportunity C. challenge D. invitation
8.A. like B. take C. hold D. make
9.A. however B. whenever C. wherever D. whatever
10.A. stage B. occasion C. time D. event
11.A. remembered B. continued C. delivered D. wrote
12.A. delighted B. embarrassed C. fascinated D. frightened
13.A. cleared B. checked C. cleaned D. treated
14.A. until B. before C. when D. because
15.A. energetic B. young C. alive D. healthy
16.A. lose B. realize C. pursue D. obtain
17.A. secretly B. sadly C. peacefully D. bitterly
18.A. joined B. ignored C. cancelled D. attended
19.A. example B. directions C. speech D. personality
20.A. gain B. explore C. take D. appeal
I couldn't imagine ______difficult it was for these badly injured victims to make it to the hospital.
A. when B. how C. what D. where
—Where did you get this book?
—I picked it up from a second-hand bookshop if you ______know.
A. must B. will C. can D. shall
