Microsoft founder Bill Gates has opened up about being a parent, stating that 13 is an appropriate age for a child’s first cell phone.
The 57-year-old, father-of-three, revealed on the Today Show that his children Jennifer and Rory were not allowed phones until their thirteenth birthday and his youngest daughter Phoebe is still waiting for one.
“We’ve chosen in our family that it’s 13 where you get a phone,” the self-made billionaire explained.
He said as a result his children often return home from school complaining:“All the other kids have it. I’m the only one without it, and it’s so embarrassing.”
Asked if he keeps passwords to his son and daughters’ email and Facebook accounts, Mr Gates said that he doesn’t for Jennifer, 16, who he describes as “independent”.
He admitted that monitoring online activity is “a very tricky issue for parents now.”
Despite their vast wealth Mr and Mrs Gates, who live in Lake Medina, just outside Seattle, Washington, have said they want to give their children as normal an upbringing as possible.
It was previously reported that their youngsters have to complete household chores and are given a modest amount of pocket money.
And in 2010 Mr Gates said that he intended to give most of his $ 61 billion fortune away rather than hand it down. “That wouldn’t be good either for my kids or society,” he said.
Also during the “Today” Interview with host Matt Lauer, Mr Gates, who stepped down from Microsoft in 2008 to concentrate on philanthropy (慈善事业) , said that helping others gives him the same excitement as creating software.
“What you really feel is what you’ve achieved. If a piece of software gets out there and lots of people love it－it lets them get their work done in better ways－that’s exciting,” he explained.
1.Bill Gates will not let his children own a cell phone ________.
A. until they reach the age of 13
B. if they don’t really need one
C. unless they do some housework
D. before they become independent
2.Which of the following is true about Bill Gates’ children?
A. All his children now have cell phones.
B. Phoebe has her own cell phone.
C. They are not given any pocket money.
D. Jennifer can use the Internet freely.
3.What does the underlined word “That” refer to in the text?
A. Being a parent as a billionaire.
B. Handing all his money down to his children.
C. Allowing his children to have their phones.
D. Giving away all his money to good causes.
4.What is the text mainly about?
A. How Bill Gates made himself a billionaire.
B. How Bill Gates deals with his money.
C. How Bill Gates managed his business.
D. How Bill Gates brings up his children.
Many schools across the US hold graduation ceremonies this time of year. In some schools, even 5 and 6-year-olds observe their graduation from kindergarten. And so can older people, much older. Meet 70-year-old Jerry Reid, who just graduated from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. He earned a bachelor’s degree.
Mr. Reid might not look like the average college student; his hair is definitely grayer. But still Jerry Reid’s age is easy to forget, other UVA students know him as one of their own.
Mr. Reid sat into the “Hoo Crew,” a group that cheers loudly for the school at sports events. He also joined a men's group on campus. He sang drinking songs along with many other students. Mr. Reid’s school friends say they can talk to him just about anything.
About a half century ago, in his 20s, Mr. Reid was not in school. Instead, he was racing cars and chasing girls. But he says his friend Bill invited him to UVA parties.
“Bill told me what a terrible life I had unless I came up here and went to school with him,” said Reid.
That was in 1963. Jerry Reid says it took him 48 years to take that advice. In 2011, he entered college. UVA Professor Luke Wright says Mr. Reid influences students. He opened the minds of the young adults. The teacher says Mr. Reid showed them that life does not end at 40. Instead, the 70-year-old college graduate believes that getting older can be the beginning of a dream.
“Remember that path that you left waits for you. It’s there. It’s yours. All you must do is to get out of your own way and get back to it. And, that's exactly what I did,” said Reid.
Mr. Reid says that he and his wife Susan now would take some time off to enjoy his college degree. Then, he’ll return to UVA to begin studying for his graduate degree.
1.Which of the following is true of Mr. Reid?
A. He was laughed at by other students.
B. He was interested in study in his youth.
C. He enlarged the views of young people.
D. He got his graduate degree in 2011.
2.From the third paragraph, we can infer that Mr. Reid was _________.
A. considerateB. independentC. intelligentD. energetic
3.What does Paragraph 6 mainly discuss?
A. How Mr. Reid realizes his dream.
B. What teachers think of Mr. Reid.
C. When Mr. Reid entered college.
D. Why the students likes Mr. Reid.
4.What lesson can we learn from the story of Jerry Reid?
A. It is never too late to learn.
B. Two heads are better than one.
C. Actions speak louder than words.
D. A friend in need is a friend indeed.
Visitors worry that London is an expensive city but there really are so many free things to do here. The following ideas should get you started.
All of London's major museums are free, but most offer some special exhibitions for a fee. My favorite is the Museum of London where you can learn the history of London from Roman times to today. And I love the Geffrye Museum which shows English domestic interiors（内务） and helps bring to life what it was really like to live in London.
I regularly hear people tell me the Queen Mary's Rose Gardens in Regent's Park is their favorite spot in London, and who am I to argue? I would also recommend St. James's Park as it offers one of the best views of Buckingham Palace. Hyde Park is enormous（巨大的） and Kensington Gardens nearby includes the ever popular Diana Memorial Playground and the Peter Pan Statue.
No visit to London is complete without seeing this military tradition. The Queen's Guard in London changes in the Forecourt inside the gates of Buckingham Palace at 11.30am every day in the summer and every other day in the winter. Get there early and view the spectacle（壮观的场面） from outside the front gates.
Trafalgar Square is one of Britain's greatest visitor attractions and was designed by John Nash in the 1820s and constructed in the 1830s. This iconic square has many sights to see including Nelson's Column and the National Gallery. It is both a tourist attraction and the main focus for political demonstrations. Every December, Norway donates a marvelous（非凡的） Christmas tree, to thank Britain for liberation from the Nazis.
1.Where can visitors find the Peter Pan Statue?
A. in Regent's Park.B. in St. James's Park.
C. in Hyde Park.D. in Kensington Gardens.
2.Which of the following descriptions is True?
A. In the Geffrye Museum visitors can learn the history of London from Roman times to today.
B. The Queen Mary's Rose Gardens is in Buckingham Palace.
C. There is the Queen's Guard change inside the gates of Buckingham Palace at 11.30 am every day all year around.
D. Trafalgar Square is both a tourist attraction and a place for political demonstrations.
3.The writer wrote the passage to ________.
A. compare some free places in London
B. advertise some free places in London
C. recommend some free places in London
D. expose some free places in London
October 21 was a very dark day in Texas. Not only did Hurricane Hanna destroy homes, it caused the largest business damage in Texas’s history. The worst thing is Hanna’s destructive force nearly wiped out(摧毁) most power poles and power lines. According to Center Point Energy, Hurricane Hanna affected 2.15 million customers. Currently, more than 4,000 of them are still in the dark. Crews have worked 16-hour shifts(更换) to restore power to residents.
Most of Houston seems to be returning to normal. Schools, restaurants, retail(零售) stores and gas stations are open. Smiles are back. But harder-hit places, including Galveston, will take much longer to recover. Hundreds of people are still missing, and coastal towns are a mess. Some ruins from storm have drifted(漂流) south to other beaches in Texas. Several public schools in Galveston are closed due to water damage. Parents are registering kids in other area schools which are scheduled to begin class on November 13. Many school supplies were destroyed.
Clara Barton Village is an emergency shelter located at Alamo Elementary School in Galveston, Texas. This is where Paula Reed and her family are staying. Believe it or not, Paula Reed and her family consider this hurricane a blessing. When Paula was a girl, she was an orphan, but was taken in by her stepmum, Antonia Flores. Reed lost contact with Flores and had been trying desperately to locate her for the past few years. Before the hurricane, Reed and her family moved away from Galveston to a San Antonio shelter. There, she reunited with Flores after 30 long years! The moment they saw each other, their lives were changed.
1.What’s the most serious damage caused by Hurricane Hanna?
A. Hundreds of people are still missing.
B. A large number of people are homeless.
C. Power facilities are severely destroyed.
D. Factories are closed and many people are jobless.
2.It can be inferred that the residents in Houston ________.
A. have fully recovered from the disaster
B. were the most unlucky people in the disaster
C. need a long time to bring their life back to normal
D. suffered less from Hanna than people in Galveston
3.Kids in public schools in other areas of Houston will have to stay at home for _______.
A. at least one month
B. at least three weeks
C. two weeks at most
D. nearly half a month
4.Paula Reed and her family consider the hurricane a blessing because _______.
A. they had nothing lost after Hurricane Hanna
B. they lived a happier life in San Antonio shelter
C. Paula was taken good care of in the shelter
D. Paula reunited with her stepmother after three decades
假设你是李华，最近国内一家英文报纸正在讨论北京动物园是否应迁出市区。以下是你所在班级讨论的情况。请你给该报写一封信，反映讨论结果。赞成迁出：1. 游客多，交通堵塞2. 郊区环境好。
反对迁出：1. 建于1906年，中外闻名2. 搬迁易造成动物死亡
注意：1. 词数100– 120;
2. 适当加入细节，以使充实、行文连贯，请勿提及真实学校名称。
短文改错
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共
有10处错误，每句中最多有两处。错误涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(Λ)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者(从第11处起)不计分。
Today we were organized for a short trip to the West Hill. We set out by the school bus at 7:30 a.m. The weather was pleasure and every one of us was excited. After two hour’s ride, we arrived there at nine thirty. We began our programs the moment as we got off from the bus. We played games on the hillside and swimming in the river. After that we had our picnic lunch. In the afternoon we walked along the river, that winds around the hills. We took a lot of photo and enjoyed ourselves very much. Time past quickly and we had to come back.It was over five o’clock that we returned school. What a good trip we had today! I’ll never forget it.
