War Horse author Michael Morpurgo is being interviewed:
Reporter:How did War Horse become so successful?
Michael:War Horse was published in 1982,and it did not sell very well.But my publishers kept it in print,along with all my books.I am very grateful to Egmont and I’m sure now they are very grateful to themselves.
The book was discovered 21 years later,by accident.I was on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4 in 2003 when my work was becoming better known.One of the listeners was the mother of a director called Tom Morris,and after reading War Horse herself she told her son to read it.Two years later the play came out,and it was a huge hit that went to the West End,Broadway and now Canada and Australia,then a nationwide American tour in June this year.
In 2009 kathy kennedy,the producer who worked with Steven Spielberg,walked into the New London Theatre to see the play because her daughter liked it very much.She then phoned Spielberg and told him this would be his next film!The way it all happened is better than any of my stories.War Horse has now sold over 1 million copies.
Reporter:Has War Horse changed your life?
Michael:It has made all the difference in the world.The most important gift it has given us is not to have to worry about money,because there has always been a slight anxiety.It has allowed us to ensure our grandchildren’s education.There is a disadvantage to it as well,which is an assumption that I am super rich.I’m not,actually.It is very nice and completely unexpected but I have got to go on writing.If I were younger,I think,it would go to my head.Now I am too old for anything to go to my head.It is not the same as winning the lottery(彩票)。
1.Why are Michael’s publishers grateful to themselves too?
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A．Because they never stopped printing it and it finally proved successful. |
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B．Because they earned a lot thanks to books of high quality they printed. |
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C．Because they have the ability to enlarge their company. |
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D．Because they have the potential to film the story. |
2.War Horse got the first huge success thanks to____.
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A．Steven Spielberg and his daughter |
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B．Tom Morris and his listeners |
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C．Kathy Kennedy’s daughter |
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D．Tom Morris’ mother |
3.Why did Kathy Kennedy watch the play of War Horse?
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A．Because she knew that the film was very popular. |
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B．Because her daughter was mad on the play. |
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C．Because her friend,Steven Spielberg,advised her to see it. |
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D．Because she was looking for a story with an animal in her mind. |
4.What change made Michael feel most valuable because of War Horse?
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A．He could stay at home looking after his grandchildren. |
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B．He can make friends with famous film directors. |
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C．He needn’t worry about his financial problems. |
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D．He needn’t spend time writing another book. |
5.What is the attitude of Michael to his great success?
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A．Calm. |
B．Unbelievable. |
C．Confused |
D．Excited. |
The chemist handed me my prescription(处方药)，apologized for the wait,and explained that his register had already closed.He asked if I would 36 using the register at the front of the store.
I told him not to worry and walked up to the front, 37 one person was in line ahead of me,a little girl no more than seven, 38 a bottle of Children’s Motrin on the counter.She 39 a little green and white striped(有条纹的) coin purse closely to her chest.
The purse 40 me of the days when,as a child,I played dress-up in my grandma’s closet.I’d march around the house in 41 clothes,wearing costume jewellery and hats,talking “grownup talk”to 42 who would listen.I remembered the thrill one day when I 43 a pretend dollar to someone,and he handed back some 44 coins for me to put into my special purse.“Keep the 45 !”he told me with a wink(眨眼).
Now the clerk rang up(用收银机记录)the little girl’s 46 ,while she shakily pulled out a coupon(优惠券)，a dollar bill and some coins.I watched her face becoming red as she tried to 47 her money,and I could see right away that she was about a dollar 48 .With a quick wink to the checker,I drew a dollar bill onto the counter and 49 the clerk to ring up the sale.The child put her 50 change into her coin purse,grabbed her 51 and hurried out of the door.
As I 52 for my car,I felt a pull on my shirt.There was the girl, 53 up at me with her big brown eyes.She gave me a 54 ,wrapped her arms around my legs for a long moment,and then stretched out her little hand.It was full of coins.“ 55 ,”she whispered.
“That’s okay,”I answered.I flashed her a smile and winked,“keep the change!”
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—Why are you staring at me?
—You look stupid!The way you wear is___annoys me most.
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A．which |
B．where |
C．how |
D．what |
We finally managed to make the customers___of the quality of the vehicle.
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A．pleased |
B．convincing |
C．convinced |
D．satisfied |
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北京某家政服务公司推出了“高考保姆”服务。“高考保姆”一般要有本科学历，他们既要辅导考生的薄弱学科，也要给考生做饭、洗衣服等。此项服务在社会上引起了不同的反响。现在请你结合此事并根据下面表格内容用英语写一篇短文。
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人们的不同反应 |
赞同（60%） |
反对（40%） |
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1. 高考对于孩子的未来非常关键，需要找专业人士来照料。 2. 许多家长工作很忙，抽不出时间照顾孩子。 |
1. 这样会造成孩子过分紧张。 2. 高考是孩子成长的重要经历，家长应亲自陪同孩子体验。 |
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你的看法 |
（至少两点） |
注意：
1. 对所给要点逐一陈述，可适当发挥，不要逐句翻译。
2. 词数150左右，开头已经写好，不计入总词数。
A domestic service company in Beijing provided “Gaokao nannies” for students who will take part in the college entrance examination. The nannies can not only tutor the students in their weak subjects but also wash clothes and cook meals for them.
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Made in the USA: An Export Boom
In his State of the Union address two years ago, President Obama argued that in order to recover from the economic recession, one of the few things the U．S. needed to do was to export more goods around the world. That night, the president unveiled a new goal: to double U．S. exports over the next five years. It would be an increase that the president said would “support two million jobs in America.”
Most economists dismissed the promise at the time as something unrealistic, but two years later, the U．S. is on pace to meet that goal. American exports are up 34 percent since the president gave that speech, and the number continues to rise.
Competitive In A Global Market
Marlin Steel, a metal working business in Baltimore, makes parts that ship all across the world.“ We export to 36 countries，” owner Drew Greenblatt tells All Things Considered Host Guy Raz. “We're working around the clock, and we're growing.”
It's not just advanced manufacturing exports on the rise, but pork, cattle and all kinds of agricultural exports are up as well. Even American craft beer has found an export market.
Flying Dog CEO Jim Caruso says that increasingly, people all over the world are trying the beer from the Maryland-based brewery. Caruso says，“Even in those top beer-producing countries, a competitive American product is finding a market.”
Services Are Exports, Too
Another place exports are coming from is New York City—in particular, the 30th floor of a Manhattan skyscraper on 5th Avenue and 52nd Street. That's where the consulting firm Kurt Solomon lies. It doesn't actually produce a product for export; it provides management advice and strategy.
“Four out of every five Americans is now employed in the service industry，” the nation's top trade official, Ron Kirk says, “Services are a significant part of our exports, and make up about a quarter of our exported goods.” These services can include everything from legal consulting, finance, information technology and even engineering.
And There Are Other Factors
So why has there been an increase of more than 30 percent for exports in almost everything? Part of the increase, at least for the manufacturing side, is due to better technology, says Tyler Cowen, an economist. “A lot of it is being driven by smart machines，” he tells Raz，“The U．S. has high wage rates, which is a disadvantage, but if machines are doing a lot of the work, that doesn't matter.”
China factors a lot in America's export economy, too. “Wages in China have been going up as the country becomes more productive. Thus China is losing the cheap labor advantage it has held for some time.” Cowen says.
Will Jobs Grow, too?
“Companies have become more productive by dismissing workers and lowering costs.” Cowen says, “So I don't view exporting as a way of creating a very large number of jobs, but it will create more profits.”
So not every business or worker is necessarily benefiting from the export boom in the U．S., and Cowen says that could ultimately lead to a polarization(两极) of economic outcomes.
Made In the USA: An Export Boom
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Outline |
Details |
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The purpose of increasing exports |
*To help America make a (71)______ from the economic recession *To help raise the nation's (72)______ rate |
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The current situation |
*American exports have risen (73)______ thirty-four percent up to now *There has been an increase in exports in everything *The export boom does not necessarily (74)______ every business or worker |
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(75)______ contributing to the export boom |
(76)______products |
Even in those top beer-producing countries, people try craft beer from Flying Dog, a brewery (77)______ in Maryland. |
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Various products |
A variety of products are provided around the world，services (78)______ for 25% |
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Lower costs |
*(79)______ take the place of labor, helping companies reduce wages *China, who used to take (80)______ of cheap labor, has given way to America in exports to some extent because of its increasing production |
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