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; bB.d; e; c; b; aC.c; d; e; a; bD.c; e; d; b; a
【小题2】Why Bobby Moresco did not tell anyone that he started taking lessons at age 17?
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.
【小题3】Which of the following sentences is NOT true?
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.
【小题4】The Studio executives turned the script Crash down because ______________.
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.
【小题5】What’s the best title of the article?
A.The Road to SuccessB.Try It a Different Way
C.A Talented man—MorescoD.Moresco’s Perseverance
【小题6】Which of the following can best describe Bobby Moresco?
A.initiative (主动) and persistentB.shy but hardworking
C.caring and brave D.aggressive and modest


D
A wallet that looks like a piece of newspaper, an atlas, or an express parcel receipt? Or a business card that looks like a notepad? No kidding.
Bai Minghui, a Beijing-based designer, creates his artwork using Tyvek, a synthetic paper material which is difficult to tear, waterproof and, more importantly, totally recyclable.
Born to a worker family in 1983 in Tangshan, Hebei Province, Bai worked as a graphic designer at a financial magazine in Beijing after graduating from Minzu University of China.
In the spring of 2008, Bai visited an exhibition about Tyvek in Beijing's 798 art zone, and then worked with the material, trying to bring his designs to life.The first thing that came into his mind was the paper wallet, a must-try handicraft assignment(手工作业)that most Chinese students do in elementary school.
"A paper wallet is definitely more useful than a paper crane or frog," Bai told Beijing Review, smiling."At first, many people have no idea what it is, because it looks like a piece of newspaper or an express parcel receipt, and feels like real paper.But it's hard to tear.
"The completed, folded wallet is seamless, which creates so much fun for a designer.To be honest, I didn't think about profits at all," he said.
After months of research and development on printing and designing, the first generation of his paper wallet made a stunning debut(上市) in May 2008.The second generation, which offers a greater range of pattern options, was put on the market at the beginning of 2009.
"You can have graffiti(涂鸦) or write down phone numbers on it, or paint whatever you like.I would like people to be able to use it easily," he said."I don't want to do things without creative ideas.Now my focus is on how to create better design rather than the wallet itself."
51.In which order did Bai do the following things?
a.create the paper wallet
b.study in Minzu University
c.work as a graphic designer
d.visit an exhibition about Tyvek in Beijing
A.cbad        B.bcda  C.cbda               D.bcad
52.Which of the following words can best describe the designer?
A.diligent    B.creative    C.friendly           D.honest
53.Tyvek, a synthetic paper material, has the following characters EXCEPT ____.
A.recyclable B.waterproof       C.foldable           D.profitable
54.What can people do with this kind of wallet?
A.They can use it as a handkerchief.
B.They can make it into a dictionary.
C.They can write their friend’s phone number on it.
D.They can buy a paper frog or paper crane with it.
55.What can be inferred from the passage?
A.Most of the Chinese students have tried to make some kind of paper work.
B.Many Chinese are fond of painting different things on their wallets.
C.Most of the wallets that people use nowadays can be recycled.
D.Most of the designers based in Beijing have tried Tyvek to create their own work of art.

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.

 

The younger daughter of former New York Mayor Richard White has moved her wedding from New Year’s Eve to this Thursday so her mother, who has been fighting against cancer for 11 years, can take part in the ceremony, a family spokesman said on Wednesday, Oct, 12, 2013. Elizabeth Lally White, who turns 28 on Thursday, will marry Sam Peterson in Spiaggia, a restaurant on North Michigan Avenue. The reception also will be held at the restaurant, which had been previously scheduled to host the couple’s engagement party on Thursday.

Lally White’s mother, Maggie, 68, was reported to have caught breast cancer in 2002. She had an operation in her leg in April and she was hospitalized twice in the weeks following the procedure for treatment of flu-like symptoms that doctors said were not related to the cancer. Maggie, who has used a walker or a wheelchair during most public appearances in recent years, is well beyond the average survival time for someone with breast cancer.

“As the mayor himself has said, she had a pretty difficult summer.” said Jacquelyn Heard, who served Mayor White’s press secretary for years and followed him to the same international law firm that he joined after leaving office in May. “She was not able to get around the way that she normally would do. This year, she has had quite a few setbacks and they’ve been pretty well documented. Lally White decided to reschedule the wedding so that her mom can participate in the festivities (庆祝活动).” Heard said. Lally White is a doctoral candidate at De-Paul University and plans to work with autistic (孤独症) children, and Sam Peterson works in insurance, Heard said.

Richard and Maggie White married in 1972 and had three children in addition to Lally — Nora, Patrick and Kevin. But Kevin was born with a disease and died in 1981 at 33 months.

1.When was Elizabeth Lally White born?

A. In 1983.?????????? B. In 1987.?????????? C. In 1985.?????????? D. In 1984.

2.What can we infer from Paragraph 2?

A. Maggie, 68, is recovering now.

B. Maggie caught breast cancer in 2002.

C. The cancer caused some flu-like symptoms on Maggie.

D. Average breast cancer patients lived a life shorter than Maggie.

3.Why did Lally White reschedule her wedding?

A. She was afraid that her mother couldn’t participate her wedding on New Year’s Eve.

B. She was eager to work with autistic children after wedding.

C. Her family will move out of New York.

D. Her mother will accept operation because of her disease.

4.How many children did the former mayor and his wife give birth to?

A. 3.??????????????? B. 4.???????????????? C. 5.???????????????? D. 6.

5.What does the passage mainly talk about?

A. The political life of former Mayor.

B. The brave wife of former Mayor.

C. The wedding of former Mayor’s daughter.

D. The family life of former Mayor.

 

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."

1. Rearrange the following statements in term 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 

2. Why Bobby Moresco did not tell anyone that he started taking lessons at age 17?

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.

3. Which of the following sentences is NOT true?

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.

4.The Studio executives turned the script Crash down because ______________.

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.

5.What’s the best title of the article?

A. The Road to Success              B. Try It a Different Way

C. A Talented man—Moresco          D. Moresco’s Perseverance

6. Which of the following can best describe Bobby Moresco?

A. initiative and persistent             B. shy but hardworking  

C. caring and brave                  D. aggressive and modest

 

 

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