O. Henry was a pen name used by an American writer of short stories. His real name was William Sydney Porter. He was born in North Carolina in 1862. As a young boy he lived an exciting life. He did not go to school for very long, but he managed to teach himself everything he needed to know. When he was about 20 years old, O. Henry went to Texas, where he tried different jobs. He first worked on a newspaper, and then had a job in a bank, when some money went missing from the bank O. Henry was believed to have stolen it. Because of that, he was sent to prison. During the three years in prison, he learned to write short stories. After he got out of prison, he went to New York and continued writing. He wrote mostly about New York and the life of the poor there. People liked his stories, because simple as the tales were, they would finish with a sudden change at the end, to the reader’s surprise.

1.In which order did O. Henry do the following things?

a. Lived in New York.   b. Worked in a bank.        c. Travelled to Texas.

d. Was put in prison.    e. Had a newspaper Job.      f. Learned to write stories.

A. c. e. b. d. f. a    B. e. c. f. b. d. a       C. e. b. d. c. a. f.   D. c. b. e. d. a f.

2.People enjoyed reading O. Henry’s stories because

A. they had surprise endings    B. they were easy to understand

C. they showed his love for the poor          D. they were about New York City

3.O. Henry went to prison because        .

A. people thought he had stolen money that was not his

B. he broke the law by not using his own name

C. he wanted to write stories about prisoners

D. people thought he had taken money from the newspaper

4.What do we know about O. Henry before he began writing?

A. He was well-educated.  B. He was not serious about his work.

C. He was devoted to the poor. D. He was very good at learning.

5.Where did O. Henry get most material for his short stories?

A. His life inside the prison.       B. The newspaper articles he wrote.

C. The city and people of New York.  D. His exciting early life as a boy.

 

Have you got any wonderful plans for your coming winter vacation?  Here are some wonderful films for you to kill time.

Away We Go

    Verona De Tessant (Maya Rudolph) and Burt Farlander (John Krasinski) are in their early thirties and struggling to meet daily needs and build fulfilling lives as an artist and a salesman.

    When they learn they will soon become parents, they are faced with the challenge of how and where to raise a child and build a happy family. With a baby on his way, the young couple, look at their lives and are puzzled about what they really want.

Another Happy Day

    Lynn was married to Pual, but they broke up and Lynn took their daughter Alice while Paul got their son Dylan.

    Years later, now Dylan is getting married, and Lynn is attending the wedding, with her younger son Elliot and Ben. Elliot is a drug addict and Ben keeps everything to himself. Dylan hasn’t spoken to Lynn in years, and Lynn is fearful of Pual and his wife Patty. At last, all this has put Lynn in a depressed situation, and she’s not sure just how she’s going to get through the day.

La Vita e bella

    Also named as Life is Beautiful, the film is a black comedy and also a best medicine that heals the scar left by war. This movie has some kind of characteristics as natural and active. On the 7th Oscar Award Ceremony , the movie won three great awards.

    It is not a sad movie from the very beginning , but when the father uses a great way to hide his murder from his son, all people are impressed by this moving deed. Under the protection of the father, the son has lived a happy life.

The Shawshank Redemption

    The film is an American film directed by Frank Darabont and starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman. The film tells the story of Andy, a banker who spends nearly two decades in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife and his wife’s lover despite his claims of innocence. There he makes friends with Red. Andy manages to escape from the prison by digging a tunnel with the rock hammer over the years. When Red is later released , he remembers Andy’s advice. He then visits the place Andy mentions before he escapes. There, he finds money and a note left by Andy, telling him to get to Zihuatanejo.

1.This passage aims to _______________

A. make comments on films for a cinema

B. recommend several films for fun

C. introduce films for a film corporation

D. advertise several films for a website

2. Which film might best help a newly married couple to figure out their new roles in future life?

A. La Vita e bella                    B. Another Happy Day

C. Away We Go                     D. The Shawshank Redemption.

3.What is the ending of The Shawshank Redemption?

A. Andy killed his wife and his wife’s lover.

B. Andy became famous for helping Red.

C. Red felt cheated by Andy in a way.

D. Red and Andy got reunited happily.

 

C

Perhaps you have never heard of Katherine Lawes.Katherine was the wife of Lewis Lawes, warden (监狱长) at Sing Sing Prison from 1920 to 1941.In these 21 years he made many reforms --- and an important part of his success was due to his wife Katherine.

Katherine took seriously the idea that the prisoners are human beings ,worthy of attention and respect .She regularly visited inside the walls of Sing Sing.She encouraged the prisoners, took things to them and spent time listening to them.Most importantly, she cared about them.And as a result, they cared deeply about her.

Then one night in October of 1937, news was "telegraphed" between the prison cells that Katherine had been killed in an accident.The prisoners asked the warden to allow them to attend her funeral.He agreed to their strange request and a few days later the south gate of Sing Sing swung slowly open.Hundreds of men who had committed almost every crime imaginable marched slowly out of the prison, later gathered again at the gate and returned to their cells.There were so many that they proceeded unguarded.But no one tried to escape.If he had, the others might have killed him immediately.So devoted were they to Katherine Lawes, the woman who daily walked into Hell to show the men a piece of Heaven.

Katherine' s strength was to see the men less as prisoners and more as individuals.Thomas Moore once said, "We can only treat badly those things or people whose souls we show no respect for."

54.When Katherine's husband was the warden at Sing Sing Prison, she did the following things EXCEPT_______________.

A.encouraging the prisoners               B.visiting the prison houses

C.doing some writing for the prisoner    D.spending time in listening to the prisoners

55.Why did the prisoners ask the warden to allow them to attend Katherine’s funeral?

A.Because Katherine didn't look down upon them and cared about them.

B.Because Katherine was the wife of the warden.

C.Because Katherine made reforms in the prison.

D.Because Katherine had been killed by one of them.

56.Whom does the underlined part “the others” refer to?

A.The policemen at the funeral.           B.The other prisoners.

C.The guards.                            D.The policemen from other prisons.

57.The best title of this passage is_________.

A.Katherine Lawes' s Life                        B.Reforms at Sing Sing Prison

C.To Honor Their Souls                           D.To Meet Their Requirement

 

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