The striving of countries in Central Europe to enter the European Union may offer an unprecedented chance to the continent’s Gypsies (or Roman) to be recognized as a nation, albeit one without a defined territory. And if they were to achieve that they might even seek some kind of formal place—at least a total population outnumbers that of many of the Union’s present and future countries. Some experts put the figure at 4m-plus; some proponents of Gypsy rights go as high as 15m.

Unlike Jews, Gypsies have had no known ancestral land to hark back to. Though their language is related to Hindi, their territorial origins are misty. Romanian peasants held them to be born on the moon. Other Europeans (wrongly) thought them migrant Egyptians, hence the derivative Gypsy. Most probably they were itinerant metal workers and entertainers who drifted west from India in the 7th century.

However, since communism in Central Europe collapsed a decade ago, the notion of Romanestan as a landless nation founded on Gypsy culture has gained ground. The International Romany Union, which says it stands for 10m Gypsies in more than 30 countries, is fostering the idea of “self-rallying”. It is trying to promote a standard and written form of the language; it waves a Gypsy flag (green with a wheel) when it lobbies in such places as the United Bations; and in July it held a congress in Prague, The Czech capital. Where President Vaclav Havel said that Gypsies in his own country and elsewhere should have a better deal.

At the congress a Slovak-born lawyer, Emil Scuka, was elected president of the International Tomany Union. Later this month a group of elected Gypsy politicians, including members of parliament, mayors and local councilors from all over Europe (OSCE), to discuss how to persuade more Gypsies to get involved in politics.

The International Romany Union is probably the most representative of the outfits that speak for Gypsies, but that is not saying a lot. Of the several hundred delegates who gathered at its congress, few were democratically elected; oddly, none came from Hungary, whose Gypsies are perhaps the world’s best organized, with some 450 Gypsy bodies advising local councils there. The union did, however, announce its ambition to set up a parliament, but how it would actually be elected was left undecided.

So far, the European Commission is wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation. The might, it is feared, open a Pandora’s box already containing Basques, Corsicans and other awkward peoples. Besides, acknowledging Gypsies as a nation might backfire, just when several countries, particularly Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic, are beginning to treat them better, in order to qualify for EU membership. “The EU’s whole premise is to overcome differences, not to highlight them,” says a nervous Eurocrat.

But the idea that the Gypsies should win some kind of special recognition as Europe’s largest continent wide minority, and one with a terrible history of persecution, is catching on . Gypsies have suffered many pogroms over the centuries. In Romania, the country that still has the largest number of them (more than 1m), in the 19th century they were actually enslaved. Hitler tried to wipe them out, along with the Jews.

“Gypsies deserve some space within European structures,” says Jan Marinus Wiersma, a Dutchman in the European Parliament who suggests that one of the current commissioners should be responsible for Gypsy affairs. Some prominent Gypsies say they should be more directly represented, perhaps with a quota in the European Parliament. That, they argue, might give them a boost. There are moves afoot to help them to get money for, among other things, a Gypsy university.

One big snag is that Europe’s Gypsies are, in fact, extremely heterogeneous. They belong to many different, and often antagonistic, clans and tribes, with no common language or religion, Their self-proclaimed leaders have often proved quarrelsome and corrupt. Still, says, Dimitrina Petrova, head of the European Roma Rights Center in Budapest, Gypsies’ shared experience of suffering entitles them to talk of one nation; their potential unity, she says, stems from “being regarded as sub-human by most majorities in Europe.”

And they have begun to be a bit more pragmatic. In Slovakia and Bulgaria, for instance, Gypsy political parties are trying to form electoral blocks that could win seats in parliament. In Macedonia, a Gypsy party already has some—and even runs a municipality. Nicholas Gheorge, an expert on Gypsy affairs at the OSCE, reckons that, spread over Central Europe, there are now about 20 Gypsy MPS and mayors, 400-odd local councilors, and a growing number of businessmen and intellectuals.

That is far from saying that they have the people or the cash to forge a nation. But, with the Gypsy question on the EU’s agenda in Central Europe, they are making ground.

1.    The Best Title of this passage is

[A]. Gypsies Want to Form a Nation.         [B]. Are They a Nation.

[C]. EU Is Afraid of Their Growth.           [C]. They Are a Tribe

2.    Where are the most probable Gypsy territory origins?

[A]. Most probably they drifted west from India in the 7th century.

[B]. They are scattered everywhere in the world.

[C]. Probably, they stemmed from Central Europe.

[D]. They probably came from the International Romany Union.

3.    What does the International Romany lobby for?

[A]. It lobbies for a demand to be accepted by such international organizations as EU and UN.

[B]. It lobbies for a post in any international Romany Union.

[C]. It lobbies for the right as a nation.

[D]. It lobbies for a place in such international organizations as the EU or UN.

4.    Why is the Europe Commission wary of encouraging Gypsies to present themselves as a nation?

[A]. It may open a Pandora’s Box.

[B]. Encouragement may lead to some unexpected results.

[C]. It fears that the Basgnes, Corsicans and other nations seeking separation may raise the same demand.

[D]. Gyspsies’ demand may highlight the difference in the EU.

5.    The big problem lies in the fact that

[A]. Gypsies belong to different and antagonistic clans and tribes without a common language or religion.

[B]. Their leaders prove corrupt.

[C]. Their potential unity stems from “being regarded as sub-human”.

[D]. They are a bit more pragmatic.

It was the summer of 1936.The Olympic Games were being held in Berlin.I had trained, sweated and disciplined myself for 6 years on the running broad jump.A year before, as a college student at the Ohio State, I'd set the world's record of 26 feet 8 1/4 inches.Nearly everyone expected me to win.
I was in for a surpriseWhen the time came for the broad-jump trials(选拔赛), I was shocked to see a tall boy hitting the pit (坑) at almost 26 feet on his practice leaps.He turned out to be a German named Luz Long.He had easily qualified for the finals on his first attempt.
A nervous athlete is an athlete who will make mistakes.I fouled (犯规)twice on my qualifying jumps.Walking a few yards from the pit, I kicked at the dirt disgustedly.Suddenly I felt a hand on my shoulder.I turned to look into the friendly blue eyes of Luz Long."Hi, I'm Luz Long.I don't think we've met." "Glad to meet you," I said.Then, trying to hide my nervousness, I added, "How are you?" "I'm fine.Something must be eating you.You should be able to qualify with your eyes closed." He said.
He seemed to understand my nervousness, and took pains to reassure me.Finally, seeing that I had calmed down somewhat, he said, "What does it matter if you're not the first in the trials? Tomorrow is what counts." All the tension left my body as the truth of what he said hit me.Confidently I qualified with almost a foot to spare.
Luz broke his own record and pushed me on to a peak performance.The instant I landed from my final jump—the one which set the Olympic record of 26 feet 5 1/16 inches—he was at my side, congratulating me.
【小题1】The author said "I was in for a surprise" because he _____.

A.beat Luz LongB.met a great competitor
C.qualified for the finalD.joined in the Olympic Games
【小题2】What can we learn about the author from the passage?
A.He remained confident in the Olympic Games.
B.He had qualified for the finals on his first attempt.
C.He broke the world record of the running broad jump.
D.He had prepared for Berlin Olympics in Ohio State.
【小题3】What is the passage mainly about?
A.A memorable experience in the Olympics.
B.A reliable man in the Olympic Games.
C.A surprising result in the Olympic Games.
D.A good suggestion on how to win in the Olympics

Until a few months ago, he was a butler(管家) in one of the more expensive residential buildings in Manhattan. But now, Nepal-born Indra Tamang is the owner of two multi-million dollar apartments in the same building.

    The former owner - his former employer, Ruth Ford - died last year and left the apartments  to Mr Tamang in her will.

    Mr Tamang is happy but quickly points out that his good fortune did not come easily. "I am happy and have been touched by the generosity of the Ford family," he says. "I never expected that I will be given the ownership of these apartments. But I have been working for the family for the last 36 years, devotedly, with honesty and dedication(奉献). So my hard work has been rewarded."

    Mr Tamang was 21 when he was brought from Nepal by Charles Ford, a writer and a photographer. Mr Ford died in 2002; his sister, actress Ruth Ford, then took charge and told Mr Tamang that he was like a brother to her after Charles's death.

    Mrs Ford died aged 98. During the last five years of her life, she lost her eyesight and also developed speech problems. Mr Tamang looked after her most of the time and took care of her medicines and food.

    He also worked with Charles Ford on various photography projects, which he now wants to keep as the photographer's legacy(遗产). He hopes to organize exhibitions of Mr Ford's photographs and edit a book of his works.

Mr Tamang plans to sell the bigger, three-bedroom apartment to pay the taxes he owes to the government on his legacy. He says: "The rules of the building might be a problem, as they require a minimum monthly income to qualify to live as owner of apartments. I have my small house here but I am happy with it,"

   Mr Tamang has learnt his lesson from the life of his employers and plans to use his money with great caution. "I think one should save money for old age. That's when you need it the most to get care," he says. 

1.Mr Tamang treated the legacy as __________.

A. a reward    B. a punishment   C. business   D. a gift

2.What DIDN’T Mr Tamang do in the Ford family?

A. Show Mr Ford's works in the exhibition.

B. Look after Ruth Ford when she was ill.

C. Work on kinds of photography projects

D. Experience deaths of Charles Ford and Ruth Ford

3.Mr Tamang wants to sell one apartment to _______. 

A. buy the small house

B. pay the government the tax of the apartments

C. edit a book of Charles Ford's photographs

D. move into the expensive apartments as soon as possible

4.What lesson does Mr Tamang learn from the Ford family? 

A. To find a good butler.

B. To spend money thoughtfully.

C. To save money for children.

D. To get good care when people get old.

5.What can we know from the passage?

A. Charles Ford gave the apartments to Mr Tamang.

B. Charles Ford couldn't see or speak before his death.

C. Mr Tamang treated Ruth Ford much better than her brother.

D. Mr Tamang will still live in his small house in the near future.

 

My six-year-old granddaughter stared at me as if she were seeing me for the first time.”Grandma, you are an antique(古董),”she said. "You are old. Antiques are old. You are my antique."

I was not satisfied to let the matter rest there. I took out the Webster's Dictionary and read the definition(定义)to Jenny.I explained, "An antique is not only old, it's an object existing since or belonging to earlier times...a work of art... piece of furniture. Antiques are treasured,"I told Jenny as I put away the dictionary. "They have to be handled carefully because they sometimes are very valuable. In order to qualify as an antique, the object has to be at least 100 years old."

"I'm only 67,"I renunded Jenny.

We looked around the house for other antiques, besides me. There was a desk that was handed down from rone aunt to another and finally to our family. "It's very old,"I told Jenny.“I try to keep it polished and I show it off whenever I can. You do that with antiques."

There was a picture on the wall purchased at a garage sale. It was dated 1867. "Now  that's an antique," I boasted. "Over 100 years old." Of course it was marked up and scratched and not in very good condition. "Sometimes age does that," I told Jenny. "But the marks are good marks. They show living, being around. That's something to display with pride. In fact, sometimes, the more an object shows age, the more valuable it can become." It was important that I believed this for my own self-esteem.

Our tour of antiques continued. There was a vase on the floor. It had been in my house for a long time. I was not certain where it came from but I didn't buy it new. One thing about antiques, I explained to Jenny, was that they usually had a story. They'd been in one home and then another, handed down from one family to another, traveling all over the place. They'd lasted through years and years. They could have been tossed away, or ignored. or destroyed, or lost. But instead, they survived.

For a moment, Jenny looked thoughtful. “l don't have any antiques but you," she said. Then her face brightened. "Could I take you to school for show and tell?"

"Only if I fit into your backpack," I answered. And then Jenny's antique lifted her up and embraced her in a hug that would last through the years.

1.Grandma read the definition of "antique" to Jenny in order to         .

A.list all the important characteristics of antiques

B.tell Jenny the importance of protecting antiques

C.change Jenny's shallow understanding of antiques

D.express her disappointment at being called "antique"

2.Which of the following information did grandma convey to Jenny?

A.The desk reminded her of her dear relatives.

B.The marks on the picture showed its age and value.

C.There was usually a sad story behind each antique.

D.She planned to buy a new vase to replace the old one.

3.By saying "I don't have any antiques but you" (Paragraph 7), Jenny meant         .

A.grandma was a treasure to her

B.antiques were rare and valuable

C.she had nothing but a few possessions

D.grandma and antiques had a lot in common

4.What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A.Grandma was too old to lift Jenny up.

B.Jenny had a strong desire for grandma's love.

C.Jenny was too young to know grandma's humor.

D.Grandma had a deep long-lasting love for Jenny.

5.What can be the best title for the passage? 

A.Jenny's Antique                        B.A Story of Antiques

C.A Tour of Antiques                      D.Grandma's Antique

 

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