As a general rule, all forms of activity lead to boredom when they are performed on a routine(常规) basis. As a matter of fact, we can see this ________ at work in people of all ________. For example, on Christmas morning, children are excited about ________ with their new toys. But their ________ soon wears off and by January those ________ toys can be found put away in the basement. The world is full of ________ stamp albums and unfinished models, each standing as a monument(纪念碑) to someone’s ________ interest. When parents bring home a pet, their child ________ bathes it and brushes its fur. Within a short time, however, the ________ of caring for the animal is handed over to the parents. Adolescents(青少年) enter high school with great ________ but are soon looking forward to ________. The same is true of the young adults going to college. And then, how many ________, who now complain about the long drives to work, ________ drove for hours at a time when they first ________ their driver’s licenses? Before people retire, they usually ________ to do a lot of ________ things, which they never had ________ to do while working. But ________ after retirement, the golfing, the fishing, the reading and all of the other pastimes(消遣) become as boring as the jobs they ________. And, like the child in January, they go searching for new ________.
1.A. principleB. habitC. wayD. power
2.A. partiesB. racesC. countriesD. ages
3.A. workingB. livingC. playingD. going
4.A. confidence B. interestC. anxietyD. sorrow
5.A. sameB. extraC. funnyD. expensive
6.A. well-organizedB. colorfully-printed
C. half-filledD. newly-collected
7.A. broadB. passingC. differentD. main
8.A. silentlyB. impatientlyC. worriedlyD. gladly
9.A. promiseB. burdenC. rightD. game
10.A. courageB. calmnessC. confusionD. excitement
11.A. graduationB. independence
C. responsibilityD. success
12.A. childrenB. studentsC. adultsD. retirees
13.A. carefullyB. eagerlyC. nervouslyD. bravely
14.A. requiredB. gainedC. noticedD. discovered
15.A. needB. learnC. planD. start
16.A. greatB. strangeC. difficultD. correct
17.A. timeB. moneyC. skillsD. knowledge
18.A. onlyB. wellC. evenD. soon
19.A. lostB. choseC. leftD. began
20.A. petsB. toysC. friendsD. colleagues
What is your favorite color? Do you like yellow, orange, red? __1.___ Do you prefer greys and blues? Then you are probably quiet, shy, and you would rather follow than lead. You tend to be pessimist. At least, this is what psychologists tell us, and they should know, because they have been seriously studying the meaning of color preference, as well as the effect that colors have on human beings. _2.___ If you happen to love brown, you did so, as soon as you opened your eyes, or at least as soon as you could see clearly.___ 3._. A yellow room makes most people feel more cheerful and more relaxed than a dark green one; and a red dress brings warmth and cheer to the saddest winter day. __4.__ A black bridge over the Thames River, near London, used to be the scene of more suicides(自杀) than any other bridge in the area—until it was repainted green. The number of suicide attempts immediately fell sharply. Perhaps it would have fallen even more if the bridge had been done in pink or baby blue.
__5.___. It is an established fact that factory workers work better, harder, and have fewer accidents when their machines are painted orange rather than black or grey.
A. They tell us, among other facts, that we do not choose our favorite color as grow up — we are born with our preference.
B. On the other hand, black is depressing.
C. The rooms are painted in different colors as you like.
D. Light and bright colors make people not only happier but more active.
E. Life is like a picture or a poem, full of different colors.
F. If you do, you must be an optimist, a leader, an active person who enjoys life, people and excitement.
G. Colors do influence our moods—there is no doubt about it.
NO ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE VACATIONS?
Special Story Time for All Lower Primary Pupils
SCHOOL LIBRARY
READING ROOM
June 6, 2 p. m—3 p. m,
Mr. Stephen Keene will impress you with stories from his famous New Kids Next Block series.
FREE ADMISSION
LEARN HOW TO PLAY THE GUITAR IN 4 EASY LESSONS!
Venue: Music Room
Time: 9 a. m—12 p. m
Dates: June 6, 13, 20, 27
Instructor: Miss Katsumi from Japan
Fees: $40 for 4 lessons *
($20 for members of the school band and school choir)
Register with Mrs. Mary Mi, the Choir Mistress, NOW.
*It is compulsory for students who sing up to attend ALL four lessons.
JOIN THE GEOGRAPHY CLUB’S TWILIGHT CRUISE(黄昏巡游)
June 19, 5 p. m—8 p. m
﹒View Singapore’s wonderful skyline by night.
﹒Cruise past Kusu Island and Pulau Tekukor (Dove Island)
﹒Enjoy a great dinner under the starlit sky.
HURRY! VACANCIES ONLY FOR THE 1ST 20 PUPILS WHO SING UP.
Get your consent forms(同意书) from Miss Yu and return the forms with your payment($20) by 30 May.
* If there are more than 20 pupils interested in the cruise, priority (优先权) will be given to Geography Club*
1.A pupil who prefers not to spend any money can go for ________.
A. the cruiseB. the guitar lessons
C. story timeD. the school choir
2.Who will conduct the guitar lessons?
A. The band instructor. B. The choir mistress.
C. Mr. Stephen Keene. D. An invited guest.
3.To go for the cruise, pupils need to ________.
A. be Geography Club members
B. pay $30
C. know how to swim
D. have some forms filled
4.If a pupil is going away for the holidays with his /her family from June 1 to June 7, he/she can still go for ________.
A. story time B. the cruise
C. the school band D. the guitar lessons
The main reason people come to America is said to be that they can chase the American Dream. Everyone has heard of it, and many have died fighting for it. The only thing is that there is no clear definition of the American Dream. It is not defined by one dream, but by all the opportunities that the United States offers. Since the founding of the United States, people have been striving to define the American Dream.
In the play Death of a Salesman, every character is trying to realize his own version of the American Dream. Willy feels that he has done so. He has spent his whole life as a not very successful salesman. As he gets older, he starts having conflicts with everyone in his life, and feels that only by killing himself will the people around him be able to finally be happy.
Bernard, on the other hand, feels that the American Dream can only be achieved through career success. He shows that through hard work and dedication he will be crowned with success.
The dialogue of the characters reveals the different attitudes they have toward the American Dream, and the reaction of Willy to the fact that Bernard is very successful while he is not.
Many people try to achieve the American Dream, but few actually do so. As with any goal, it takes hard work and dedication to achieve the American Dream. In Death of a Salesman, all aspects of this goal are examined. For the goal to be achieved, the dream must be an attainable one which is worth working toward. It also must be a dream that the professional world accepts and finds useful.
1.The underlined word “striving” probably has the same meaning as “_________”.
A. trying hardB. giving up
C. bending downD. standing still
2.According to the text, Death of a Salesman tries to tell us _________.
A. what the American Dream is like
B. why Willy decides to kill himself
C. about Bernard’s dedication to his work
D. the life stories of Willy and Bernard
3.According to the author, Bernard is successful because _________.
A. he understands the real world
B. he knows how to take advantage of his knowledge
C. he works hard to achieve his goals
D. he is popular around the world
4.What would be the correct structure of the text?
It’s the ending of 2016，but as USA Today says，“it’s never too late to plan your 2016 travels”．With so many hot destinations around the globe，“where should I go?” can be difficult to answer. According to Lonely Planet，though，Brazil is a fine choice－on Aug.29，the travel guide named that country the top one to visit in 2016.
“As if endless strands of coast and mountains，splashed with rainforest didn’t already add up to an unfair share of heaven (天堂)，Brazil will hold two of the greatest sporting events in the world，beginning with the 2014 FIFA World Cup and followed by the 2016 Summer Olympics，”explained Lonely Planet.
Brazil is the largest and most populous country in South America. It boasts(自豪拥有) the Amazon，the world’s largest jungle，which is home to a variety of plants and animals. But the great landscape is not the only thing Brazilians take pride in.
The colors green and yellow might make most people think of Brazil’s soccer team even more than its national flag. Soccer is more than a sport in Brazil；it’s a way of life. In fact，the World Cup brings Brazilians together. It is interesting to note，that the general elections(大选) in Brazil are usually held during the same year as the World Cup. Political parties try to take advantage of the patriotic enthusiasm created by soccer to inspire political energy.
Alongside soccer，samba is another symbol of Brazil. The country’s most traditional dance is highlighted every February at the Rio Carnival，which is one of the world’s biggest.
“Brazil has left its second-class nation status，” said former Brazilian president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in 2009 after Rio de Janeiro was awarded the 2016 Olympics.
Brazil’s growing economy，fueled (刺激) by oil and aircraft factories，has made it more than just a nation of samba，soccer and beaches. These days，it might just be the best tourist destination in the world.
1.Which is true about Brazil?
A. It will hold the FIFA World Cup and the Summer Olympics in 2016.
B. Soccer and samba are two symbols of the country.
C. It is the largest country with the longest history in South America.
D. Its Amazon is the world’s largest jungle, Brazilians take pride in only.
2.We can tell from the words of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that ________.
A. his country will be the first class nation status after the 2016 Olympics
B. his country has been left behind by other second-class nations
C. he is confident that his country has developed very fast
D. the 2016 Olympics, not samba or soccer, has made his country the first class
3.The author’s purpose in writing the article is to ________.
A. prove that Lonely Planet’s recommendation is right
B. give an introduction of Brazil as a tourist destination
C. give an objective review of Brazil as a nation
D. explain why Brazil will be holding the two sporting events
One day a mime(哑剧演员) is visiting the zoo and tries to earn some money as a street performer. As soon as he starts to draw a crowd, a zookeeper pulls him into his office. The zookeeper explains that the zoo’s most popular attraction, a gorilla(大猩猩), has died suddenly and the keeper fears that attendance(出席人数) at the zoo will fall off. He offers the mime a job to dress up as the gorilla. The mime accepts.
The next morning the mime puts on the gorilla suit and enters the cage before the crowd comes. He soon discovers he can sleep, play and make fun of people and he draws bigger crowds than he ever did as a mime — the job he likes but loses.
However, with days going by, he begins to notice that the people are paying more attention to the lion in the cage next to his. Not wanting to lose the attention of his audience, he climbs to the top of his cage, crawls across a partition(隔墙), and dangles(悬挂) from the top to the lion’s cage. The lion gets angry at this. The scene is a fuel to the crowd.
At the end of the day he is given a raise for being such a good attraction — well, this continues for some time. The crowds grow larger, and the mime’s pay keeps going up.
Then one day when he is dangling over the lion he slides and falls. The mime is terrified. He starts screaming “Help me!”, but the lion is quick. The mime soon finds himself flat on his back looking up at the angry lion and the lion says, “Shut up you fool! Do you want to get us both fired?”
1.The mime accepts the zookeeper’s offer because __________.
A. he doesn’t like being a mime
B. he has been out of work
C. he likes performing at the zoo
D. he is offered a higher pay there
2.How does the mime find the job dressing up as the gorilla?
A. Hard and tiring. B. Dangerous but exciting.
C. Easy and funny. D. Boring but well-paid.
3.The mime’s first contact with the lion is to __________.
A. find pleasure for himself
B. win back his audience
C. get his pay raised
D. get the lion’s attention
4.The underlined words “a fuel” in Paragraph 3 can be replaced by __________.
A. frighteningB. disappointingC. familiarD. exciting
