题目内容

I have two sons. They are as different as night and day. My youngest is sweet, loveable, easy-going, and finds joy in everything. My oldest we’ve nicknamed the “Evil Genius” is ambitious, self-confident, and suffers no fools.

Whenever we mentioned Santa my husband and I were rewarded with major eye rolling and deep sighs from my oldest. At first we both tried to ignore it.

We both knew that our eldest had figured out the big secret. But I’d be damned(指责) if he was going to ruin it for his six-year-old brother who had plenty of Santa-loving years ahead of him. I looked at my husband in the eye and said, “I’ll handle this.” to which he responded “Okay just be careful because I’m not sure he knows - he might just be acting like it.” But I knew. And I had it in my mind that he was about to break his younger brothers spirit and break the news to him. I was afraid he was going to take the Christmas spirit away from my sweet innocent youngest and stamp all over it. I had to protect him. I needed to control this now before it got out of control. I rushed into the play room where my oldest was playing alone. I looked him dead in the eyes and said: “Well you know Santa isn’t real, right?” And as I stared at my eight-year-old son for what seemed like a long time of silence, his eyes started to fill with tears. And a tear dropped down his cheek when he screamed out, “He’s not?”

“Um well it’s not that he’s not real (shut up you idiot- stop saying he’s not real), but he doesn’t really make and deliver all the toys. Dad and I get some of them for you. So he’s real. He’s just got a little help from us.”

The Evil Genius wasn’t buying it. He just sat there looking at me with an expression of doubt.

You know when you make a terrible mistake but you can’t stop yourself from making it worse? That was me because I just had to know. I had to know why he had seemed to be over Santa. So I asked him why he rolled his eyes and sighed every time his father and I mentioned Santa, to which he replied that kids at school had been saying Santa wasn't real but that he still thought he was.

1.What’s the best title for the passage?

A. Two different sons

B. Santa secret given away

C. Protecting one, ruining the other

D. Making a mistake worse

2.What did the writer conclude when “Evil Genius” rolled his eyes and sighed?

A. “Evil Genius” had discovered Santa was not real.

B. “Evil Genius” had broken the secret to his younger brother.

C. “Evil Genius” had passed his Santa-loving years.

D. “Evil Genius” had been influenced by his classmates.

3.What does the underlined sentence mean in the passage?

A. “Evil Genius” refused to buy toys.

B. “Evil Genius” didn’t believe his mother’s words.

C. “Evil Genius” wanted to keep silent.

D. “Evil Genius” would not give away the secret.

4.What lesson can we learn from the story?

A. Lies can never change facts.

B. Honesty is the best policy.

C. No one is perfect.

D. We should think twice before we act.

练习册系列答案
相关题目

For most caffeine(咖啡因)consumers, its chief benefit is that it helps you get more done. This is what makes it unusual, says Stephen Braun, author of Buzz: The Science and Lore of Alcohol and Caffeine.

“Its appeal is that it helps us earn more money,” he adds. “What makes it different from other drugs is that it’s used as a productivity tool –– not for pleasure.”

Many of history’s creative minds have also been associated with a large amount of caffeine consumption.

According to one biographer, the French novelist and playwright Balzac drank as many as 50 cups of coffee a day. “Were it not for coffee one could not write, which is to say one could not live,” he once insisted.

For seven years, the film-maker David Lynch ate at the same Los Angeles diner every day, drinking up to seven sweetened cups of coffee “with lots of sugar” in one sitting, which he said would guarantee that “lots of ideas” arrived.

Ludwig van Beethoven was said to have painstakingly counted out exactly 60 coffee beans per cup when he brewed(煮)coffee.

Perhaps recent tales of caffeine excess featured the singer Robbie Williams, who reportedly consumed 36 cups of black coffee and 20 cans of Red Bull a day.

It is the routine task itself, as much as the stimulating(刺激的)effects of caffeine, that makes the process so important, says Mason Currey, author of Daily Rituals: How Artists Work. “A lot of artists use the process of making coffee as a gateway to the creative process,” he adds. “You need to get into the right mindset to do that sort of work, and the preparation process provides a focus.”

One problem with attempting to control caffeine, says Braun, is that it affects everyone differently –– it is impossible to work out a “safe” limit that works for everyone. “Eventually, you have to become your own scientist –– there isn’t an alternative to careful self-experimentation,” he says.

1.Stephen Braun mainly stresses caffeine’s _______.

A. creating ideas B. improving work efficiency

C. helping people to relax D. stimulating people

2.The examples of some famous people are given to show that _______.

A. most artists like drinking coffee

B. drinking coffee helps artists make more money

C. there’s a link between drinking coffee and creating ideas

D. drinking coffee makes artists become more successful

3.What leads to the artists’ creative process according to Mason Currey?

A. Getting a good mindset. B. Drinking the coffee.

C. Being lost in thought. D. Brewing the coffee.

4.What does Braun advise us to do in the end?

A. To drink less coffee.

B. Never to take more coffee than you need.

C. Never to limit caffeine use.

D. To work out a safe level of caffeine use.

Masterclasses---Researching your novel

When it comes to fiction, research skills are as important as writing skills. Whatever your theme or setting, research skills are an invaluable resource for any writer.

On this course, novelist Alex Preston will show you how to use various research sources to write convincing , powerful stories. You’ll explore online horizons far beyond Wikipedia, and access vast resources of the un-sohuable.

Course description

Through a mix of talks and practical exercises, you’ll learn how to weave

professional-standard research into the fiction writing process to improve all aspects of your work.

Topics include

Resources for research ---using the Internet , libraries and media to enrich your story

Backgrounds---how to use your research to make your story interesting

Shortcuts ---how to research on a tight budget

Writing the past and the present --- how to use detail to bring the world of your story to life

Theories of research--- from Laurent Binet to Hilary Mantel, looking at how the masters work

Practical exercises--- a series of writing exercises designed to inspire and instruct

This course is for you if …

You are an experienced writer currently writing or planning a novel which requires more research than you’ve previously undertaken

You are a new fiction writer struggling with building a convincing world.

You are currently having plotting or structural problems with a novel

Tutor profile

Alex Preston is a prize-winning novelist and journalist. He appears regularly on BBC television and radio and writes for The Observer and GQ Magazine

Details

Date: 21 December 2015

Times: 10 am-5 pm. Check-in begins 30 minutes before the start time.

Location: The Guardian, Kings Place, 90 York Way, London N1 9GU

Price:

Early bird special£199 ( limited in number)

Regular price £229

( all prices include VAT, booking fee, lunch and refreshments)

Event capacity: 16

Tickets may be paid back if you contact us at least 7 days before the course start date.

Book now and join our masterclasses ASAP!

1.If you want to make your story real and vivid, you should focus on “_______”

A. Backgrounds

B. Practical exercises

C. Resources for research

D. Writing the past and the present

2.The course is targeted at those who _________

A. are trying their best to work out ideal characters in a story

B. are popular writers with several works completed

C. write for famous magazines regularly

D. lack enough persuasive writing skills

3.Which of the following is Not true according to “Details” ?

A. Only less than twenty people can be admitted into the course.

B. The favourable price includes lunch and desserts.

C. Those who book in advance can get a 15% discount

D. The whole course lasts seven hours.

根据短文内容,从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。

In our daily life, we have developed a lot of habits, such as, eating habit, study habit, reading habit, etc. However, taking the time to develop a sleep habit is probably the last thing on your mind and some sleep advice simply can’t be forgotten. 1. .

Watching TV until you fall asleep

It has nothing to do with what you watch —TV news isn’t a better pre-sleep choice than TV series. 2. . The bright light keeps you awake all the night. So even if you nod off (in front of the TV, for example), you probably won’t stay asleep for long.

Sleeping with pets

3. . They get comfortable, and then they move. This goes on all night, and whether you admit it or not, it interrupts your ability to get the level of sleep needed to feel rested.

Eating fatty, heavy foods too close to bedtime

Heartburn (烧心,胃痛) strikes anyone of any age, but it’s the most common GI disorder (胃肠失调) in older adults. If you’ve ever tried to go to sleep after eating a fatty meal, you’ve probably found the discomfort of stomach preventing you from falling asleep or staying asleep.

4.

Remember how poorly you sleep when you have a fever—turning over and over again, never really feeling rested? Well, heavy exercise too close to bedtime has the same effect — it raises your body temperature so that your sleep is disturbed until your body temperature drops to normal, which may take several hours.

Accepting snoring (打呼噜) as normal sleep behavior

Snoring may seem as common as breathing, but it’s considered the biggest sleep killer, and it’s linked to several causes: sleeping on your back, being overweight, having a cold, drinking, or taking drugs. 5. . For the snorer, it disturbs sleep by awakening him/her every so often in order to breathe normally. For the partner, the noise can be unbearable.

A. Exercising heavily too close to bedtime

B. Here are some bad habits you need to get rid of

C. Most seriously, it’s caused by a dangerous illness

D. Here are some suggestions you’ll need to follow

E. Pets sleep most of the day, and they move a lot when sleeping

F. Reducing your body temperature before bedtime

G. Rather it’s the TV’s bright light that is the criminal

My name is Amy. I’m a 25-year-old graduate student who likes yoga, home-decorating shows and eating spoonfuls of peanut butter straight from the jar. Oh yeah, and I’m an iPhone addict.

I wasn’t always an addict. In fact, for many years I told myself I didn’t want a fancy cellphone. They seemed like too much work, always ringing and demanding attention. I was perfectly content with my simple cellphone, and I didn’t feel like changing my mind any time.

However, about a year ago, I found myself envious of all those proud iPhone owners, holding their shiny new phones and showing them off to all their friends. I started to eavesdrop on conversations about “iPhone apps”, feeling like a tourist listening to a language I couldn’t speak.

Eventually I couldn’t ignore my iPhone instinct (本能) any longer, and I welcomed my new iPhone into my life. I instantly fell in love with the little bundle of joy, and could no longer imagine a life without it.

To my surprise, I suddenly found myself with a whole new circle of friends—other iPhone owners I could go to for advice and support as I learned the various functions of my new device. They responded to my iPhone-related queries when my other friends couldn’t, and didn’t roll their eyes when I bragged(吹牛)about all the things little Eloise (yes, I named her) could do.

For a couple months I built my new life with Eloise. However, I realized I had a problem when one day I found myself Google-mapping my way to my mailbox, which happens to be right outside my front door.

When I reflected upon the past few months, I couldn’t believe I didn’t see this coming. All the warning signs were there. Eloise slept right beside me and was the first thing I reached for in the morning. I checked my e-mail about 20 times a day. I also experienced attachment anxiety when I left poor Eloise in the changing room at the gym. What if she rang and needed my response? Or, even worse, what if a careless gym-goer knocked her out of my bag and caused her screen to crack?

Once I admitted I had a problem, things started to change. What used to feel like friendly messages now felt like constant complaining to respond. I hated that I could no longer leave the house without Eloise in my hand. Eventually, I felt angry with Eloise so much that I wanted to throw her at the wall.

I decided something had to be done. But, as I quickly realized, iPhones are like cigarettes and not easy to quit.

Then, while taking the bus to work one day, I was unexpectedly forced to quit—at least temporarily. When I reached into my purse to grab Eloise, I found her overcome by fever. My head swam with panic as I attempted to solve the problem, but without result. I couldn’t call anyone for advice. I couldn’t Google whether this had happened to any fellow iPhone owners. The Apple Store was closed by the time I finished work, so I headed home with fear into an Eloise-less night. But, after a couple hours without any text alerts, push notifications, or even good old-fashioned phone calls, I felt ... calmer. Without my electronic bed partner, I drifted off into the deepest sleep I’d had in months. The next morning, I read the news from the simplicity of the newspaper, instead of from my iPhone. I even noticed the cherry blossoms blooming.

My goodness, what had I been missing?

1. The passage is mainly about ___________.

A. how I changed my attitude towards iPhone

B. why I was content with my iPhone

C. how my simple cellphone changed my lifestyle

D. why I preferred to use iPhone eventually

2. The phrase “ eavesdrop on” ( Paragraph 3) is closer in meaning to __________.

A. adapt suddenly to B. join unwillingly in

C. listen secretly to D. argue fiercely in

3.IPhones’__________ can not be listed among the reasons why the writer was addicted to it.

A. diverse application B. excellent service

C. bundle of joy D. good company

4.When did the writer get to know that she had to tear herself away from her iPhone?

A. She needed her iPhone to lead her to the mailbox.

B. She slept with her iPhone beside her every night.

C. She checked and read her e-mails too frequently.

D. She dared not leave her iPhone alone at the gym.

5.What message does the writer pass on at the end of the passage?

A. She considered throwing away her iPhone regretful.

B. She looked forward to starting her new life with Eloise.

C. She thought it of little benefit to have a simple cellphone.

D. She was aware that she had to kick the habit of being addicted to her iPhone.

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