题目内容
In 1983, there were only 200 computers connecting to the Internet.
connecting→connected
Bobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working-class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. But Hell's Kitchen lies right next door to Broadway, and the bright lights attracted Bobby from the time he was a teen. Being stage-struck was hardly what a street kid could admit to his partners. Fearing their ridicule, he told no one, not even his girlfriend, when he started taking acting lessons at age 17. If you were a kid from the neighborhood, you became a cop, construction worker, longshoreman or criminal. Not an actor.
Moresco struggled to make that long walk a few blocks east. He studied acting, turned out for all the cattle calls -- and during the decade of the 1970s made a total of $2,000. "I wasn't a good actor, but I had a driving need to do something different with my life," he says.
He moved to Hollywood, where he drove a cab and worked as a bartender. "My father said, 'Stop this craziness and get a job; you have a wife and daughter.' “But Moresco kept working at his chosen craft.
Then in 1983 his younger brother Thomas was murdered in a mob-linked killing. Moresco moved back to his old neighborhood and started writing as a way to explore the pain and the patrimony of Hell's Kitchen. Half-Deserted Streets, based on his brother's killing, opened at a small Off-Broadway theater in 1988. A Hollywood producer saw it and asked him to work on a screenplay.
His reputation grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. By 2003, he was again out of work and out of cash when he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. Haggis wanted help writing a film about the country after September 11. The two worked on the writing, but every studio in town turned it down. They kept pitching it. Studio executives, however, thought no one wanted to see a severe, honest vision of race and fear and lives in collision in modern America.
Moresco believed so strongly in the script that he borrowed money, sold his house. He and Haggis kept pushing. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance, but the upfront money was too little, Moresco delayed his salary.
Crash slipped into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and a critical success. It was nominated for six Academy Awards and won three -- Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing (Original Screenplay) by Paul Haggis and the kid from Hell's Kitchen.
At age 54, Bobby Moresco became an overnight success. "If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems," he says, "think about other ways to get it done."
【小题1】 Rearrange the following statements in terms of time order:
a. His work Half-Deserted Streets drew attention as it opened at a small Off-Broadway theater
b. Unexpectedly Crash became both a hit and a huge success.
c. He moved to Hollywood to be a taxi driver and a waiter.
d. He started learn acting in spite of hardness with the belief of doing something diiferent.
e. His younger brother Thomas was killed in conflict among bullies.
A.d; c; e; a; b | B.d; e; c; b; a | C.c; d; e; a; b | D.c; e; d; b; a |
A.He wnted to give his girlfriend a surprise. |
B.His girlfriend did not allow him to do this. |
C.He was afraid of being laughed at. |
D.He had no talent for acting. |
A.His father did not support his work as a bartender. |
B.Before he became an overnight success, his life experienced ups and downs. |
C.His brother’s death inspired his writing Half-Deserted Streets. |
D.Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen which is a few blocks east of Broadway. |
A.they thought the script would not be popular. |
B.the script was not well written. |
C.they had no money to make the film based on the script. |
D.they thought Moresco was not famous. |
A.The Road to Success | B.Try It a Different Way |
C.A Talented man—Moresco | D.Moresco’s Perseverance |
A.initiative (主动) and persistent | B.shy but hardworking |
C.caring and brave | D.aggressive and modest |
San Francisco has its cable cars. Seattle has its Space Needle. And, Longview has its squirrel bridge. The bridge, which has attracted international attention, is now a local landmark.
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in 1963 by a local builder, Amos Peters, to give squirrels a way to cross the busy road without getting flattened by passing cars.
The original bridge was built over Olympia Way on the west edge of the library grounds. Before the bridge was built, squirrels had to avoid traffic to and from the Park Plaza office building where office staff put out a nutty feast for the squirrels. Many times, Peters and others who worked in and near Park Plaza witnessed squirrels being run over.
One day Peters found a dead squirrel with a nut still in its mouth, and that day’s coffee break discussion turned into squirrel safety. The group of businessmen cooked up the squirrel bridge idea and formed a committee to ask the blessing of the City Council(市政会).The Council approved, and Councilwoman Bess LaRiviere named the bridge “Nutty Narrows.”
After architects designed the bridge, Amos Peters and Bill Hutch started Construction, They built the 60-foot bridge from aluminum and lengths of fire hose(消防水带). It cost 1,000.
It didn’t take long before reports of squirrels using the bridge started. Squirrels were even seen guiding their young and teaching them the ropes. The story was picked up by the media, and Nutty Narrows became know in newspapers all over the world.
In 1983, after 20 years of use, Peters took down the worn-out bridge. Repairs were made and crosspieces were replaced. The faded sign was repainted and in July 1983, hundreds of animal lovers attended the completion ceremony of the new bridge.
Peters died in 1984, and a ten-foot wooden squirrel sculpture was placed near the bridge in memory of its builder and his devotion to the project. 【小题1】
The Nutty Narrows Bridge was built in order to ________.
A.offer squirrels a place to eat nuts |
B.set up a local landmark |
C.help improve traffic |
D.protect squirrels |
【小题2】
What happened over the coffee break discussion?A.The committee got the Council’s blessing. |
B.The squirrel bridge idea was born |
C.A councilwoman named the bridge |
D.A squirrel was found dead. |
【小题3】
What does the underlined phrase “teaching them the ropes” probably means in the text?A.passing them a rope |
B.Directing them to store food for winter |
C.Teaching them a lesson |
D.Showing them how to use the bridge. |
【小题4】
Which of the following is true of the squirrel bridge?A.It was replaced by a longer one. |
B.It was built from wood and metal |
C.it was rebuilt after years of use |
D.It was designed by Bill Hutch. |
【小题5】
What can we learn about Amos Peters?A.He is remembered for his love of animals. |
B.He donated $1,000 to build the bridge |
C.He was a member of the City Council |
D.He was awarded a medal for building the bridge. |