When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying,“We have to go to work now.” you're left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is , until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

Stage schools often act as agencies (代理机构) to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn't settle for spending only hal

f the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 do 80 days.

The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don't make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

1.People would stop feeling uneasy when realising that the children they're talking to  ________.

A. attend a stage school

B. are going to the theatre

C. have got some work to do

D. love singing and dancing 

2.In the writer's opinion, a good stage school should  ________ .

A. produce star performers

B. help pupils improve their study skills

C. train pupils in language and performing arts

D. provide a general education and stage training 

3.“Professional work” as used in the text means  ________ .

A. ordinary school work

B. money?making performances

C. stage training at school

D. acting, singing or dancing after class 

4.Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.

B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached. 

Directions: For each blank in the following passage there are four words or phrases marked A, B, C and D. Fill in each bank with the word or phrase that best fits the context.
As Christmas drew near, Ursula was faced with just that problem. She had come to live in an American home and learn English.  50 , she would mind the children and do anything she was asked.
One of her tasks was to keep track of   51 Christmas presents. Ursula did this faithfully, but she became increasingly worried. What could she buy for her   52 with the little money she had that would compare with the gifts she was recording daily?  53 ,even without any of the gifts , her employer seems to have everything.
Ursula _ 54 _ long and hard. On Christmas Eve, she went to a store. She moved slowly through crowds of shoppers,   55 things in her mind. Finally she bought a baby dress. She immediately called   56  . “Excuse me, please, can you help me find a poor family with a baby?”  “A poor family?” said the   57  driver. “Yes, a very poor family.” Ursula told the man of what she was trying to do. He   58 in silence, and then said, “I know a family who   59 just about everything.”

20090918

 
When they reached a   60 the driver said, “They live on the third floor.” Ursula shook her head, “Would you take this dress to them and tell them it’s from someone …someone who has everything.”

Early the next day, Ursula   61 everyone for the presents she received. Then, she began to      62  why there seemed to be none from her. She told about what she did the night before. When she finished, there was a long   63 . “You see,” she added, “I try to do a kindness in your   64 . And this is my Christmas present to you.”
50. A. In return         B. As a result             C. By the way           D. In a sense
51. A. delivering        B. mailing                 C. arriving                D. sending
52. A. American family B. own family       C. friends                 D. classmates
53. A. Otherwise       B. Therefore             C. Besides                D. However
54. A. talked             B. worked                C. waited                 D. thought
55. A. selecting         B. matching              C. remembering        D. organizing
56. A. a shop            B. a taxi                   C. her employer        D. her parents
57. A. delighted        B. anxious                 C. surprised              D. respectful
58. A. noticed           B. listened                C. got out                 D. carried on
59. A. buys               B. has                      C. uses                     D. needs
60. A. garage            B. building               C. station                 D. yard
61. A. thanked          B. encouraged           C. praised                 D. admired
62. A. settle              B. repeat                  C. argue                   D. explain
63. A. delay              B. silence                 C. time                    D. break
64. A. case               B. opinion                C. memory               D. name

 
D
In the computer age, most of us take a broadband Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs, it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
68. The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.
A. a rare challenge                                           B. a desirable plan       
C. an efficient device                                D. a hidden problem
69. What can we know from the third paragraph?
A. Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B. Internet service providers care about rural customers.
C. Computer is popular in developing countries.
D. It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.
70. Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.
A. make TV and telephone available everywhere
B. bring great change to people’s everyday life
C. make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D. bring faster Internet connections to users
71. What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?
A. The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B. More and more Internet users.
C. more and more Internet connections.
D The rapid progress in cell phone technology.

In the computer age, most of us take a broadband(宽带)Internet connection for granted. Whether cable or mobile broadband, today’s connections are many times faster than those in the early days. Videos play smoothly, complex websites load quickly, and files(档案文件)download much faster than ten years ago. And the files are much bigger too.
There’s a catch, of course: You have to live near enough to a major city to get broadband Internet. If you don’t, it’s slow dial-up access for you. And for those living really far out, there may be no Internet access at all.
Technology experts often talk about the “last mile” problem, which refers to the difficulty of bringing Internet access to remote locations. In cities and suburbs(郊区), it’s relatively easy to provide access for everyone. It is much more difficult to deliver access to those living far from cities, especially in developing countries. Internet service providers, for their part, have been reluctant to provide access to sparsely (稀疏地) populated areas. The handful of Internet users they would reach wouldn’t cover the expense.
But every year, technological advancements allow of more and more Internet users. Most broadband connections today run over existing cable TV and telephone lines although these technologies aren’t available everywhere.
Some companies have delivered the Internet over standard power lines. Advancements in cheaper, more efficient fiber optics cables (光纤电缆) promise to bring extremely fast Internet connections to more users.
Still, the “last mile” problem remains hard to deal with. There will always be somewhere that doesn’t have an affordable broadband connection. But someday that might not matter. If the rapid progress in cell phone technology is any indication (迹象), it may not be too long before an Internet connection simply follows you wherever you go.
【小题1】The underlined part “a catch” (in Paragraph 2) probably means “_____”.

A.a rare challengeB.a desirable plan
C.an efficient deviceD.a hidden problem
【小题2】What can we know from the third paragraph?
A.Internet connection has not been popular in most cities.
B.Internet service providers care about rural(农村的)customers.
C.Computer is popular in developing countries.
D.It is hard to bring Internet access to users in remote areas.
【小题3】Paragraph 4 mainly tells us that technological advancements _____.
A.make TV and telephone available everywhere
B.bring great change to people’s everyday life
C.make it possible for more people to use the Internet
D.bring faster Internet connections to users
【小题4】What may eventually settle the “last mile” problem?
A.The broadband connection’s getting faster.
B.More and more Internet users.
C.more and more Internet connections.
D.The rapid progress in cell phone technology.

 

The Maldives faces the threat of extinction from rising sea levels, but the government said on Thursday it was looking to the future with plans to build homes and a golf course that float.

An increase in sea levels of just 18 to 59 centimeters would make the Maldives -- a nation of tiny coral islands in the Indian Ocean -- virtually uninhabitable by 2100, the UN’s climate change panel has warned.

President Mohamed Nasheed has vowed a fight for survival, and last month he signed a deal with a Dutch company to study proposals for a floating structure that could support a convention centre, homes and an 18-hole golf course. “It is still early stages and we are awaiting a report on the possibility,” a government official said.

The company, Dutch Docklands, is currently building floating developments in the Netherlands and Dubai. There was no immediate comment from the firm but its website said it undertook projects that make “land from water by providing large-scale floating constructions to create similar conditions as on land”.

The Maldives began work on an artificial island known as the Hulhumale near the crowded capital island of Male in 1997 and more than 30,000 people have been settled there to ease congestion. The city, which has a population of 100,000, is already protected from rising sea levels by a 30-million-dollar sea wall, and the government is considering increasingly imaginative ways to combat climate change.

Nasheed, who staged the world’s first underwater cabinet meeting in October to highlight his people’s dilemma , has even spoken of buying land elsewhere in the world to enable Maldivians to relocate if their homes are flooded. He has also pledged the Hulhumale to turn his nation into a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020. His plan involves ending fossil fuel use and powering all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources.

1. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A. The Maldives plans to build floating homes for the rising sea level.

B. The Maldives’s president signed a deal with a Dutch company.

C. The Maldives staged the first underwater cabinet meeting.

D. The Maldives is considering ways to fight against the global warming.

2. Which statement is true about the Hulhumale?

A. The Hulhumale is a natural island near the capital of Male.

B. The Hulhumale is an artificial island to be built near the capital.

C. The Hulhumale was built in 1997 and has settled over 30,000 people.

D. The Hulhumale is protected by a 30-million-dollar sea wall.

3. According to the passage, the underlined word congestion means _______.

A. being endangered                     B. being crowded   

C. being flooded                        D. being disappearing

4. Which of the following is NOT Nasheed’s idea?_______

A. To purchase land elsewhere in the world to help Maldivians to relocate if their homes are flooded.

B. To make his nation a model for the rest of the world by becoming “carbon neutral” by 2020

C. To stop using fossil fuel and power all vehicles and buildings from “green” sources.

D. To build more artificial islands for people to settle there.

5. We can infer from the passage that ________.

   A. By 2100, all the the Maldives will live on artificial islands.

B. The plans to build homes and a golf course that float have been carried out

C. Maldive has been greatly affected by the global warming.

D. . Dutch Docklands is the president of Maldive.

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网