For nearly 100 years, the heartbroken Little Mermaid has sat on a rock looking out over Copenhagen's port but now the sculpture ,based on the famous fairytale, is heading back out to sea, set for China.

The small bronze statue inspired by the tale of author Hans Christian Andersen and unveiled in 1913, is a major tourist attraction in Copenhagen. But her life has not always been easy. She has been beheaded twice, had her arm cut off, was blown off her rock in 2003 and was dressed in a Muslim headscarf two years ago in a protest - but she never left her native country.

This week she was lifted from the harbor, boxed, and shipped to Shanghai where she is the star guest in the Danish Pavilion at EXPO 2010 which runs until October 31. Details over her trip were not revealed due to security issues.

"The Little Mermaid," published in 1837, is a sad story about a mermaid who falls in love with a prince and gives up her life in the sea and her tail for legs.

The fairytale has been adapted many times into stage shows and into a Disney movie.

Copenhagen mayor Frank Jensen said in a statement that the loan of The Little Mermaid was part of a cultural exchange between Denmark and China. "I am convinced that she will be an excellent ambassador of Denmark, particularly since the Chinese already are very fond of Hans Christian Andersen and his fairytales," he said in a statement.

Her departure from Copenhagen will not leave the harbor empty. Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has created a video installation(设备/装置)to be installed at her spot.

The Little Mermaid's 165 cm (65 inches) tall sculpture, which sits on a granite block, was created in 1913 by Edvard Eriksen.

1.The following statements are true EXCEPT________________.

A.the statue of The Little Mermaid will be given to China as a gift

B.the statue of The Little Mermaid is a major tourist attraction in Copenhagen

C.The Little Mermaid is a famous fairytale written by Hans Christian Andersen

D.the story of The Little Mermaid was once adapted into a Disney movie

2.The underlined word “departure” here means_______________.

A.escaping          B.retiring           C.arriving           D.leaving

3.From the passage, we can infer that ________________.

A.Chinese artist Ai Weiwei has created another Little Mermaid instead

B.the Danish people don’t like the statue of The Little Mermaid

C.the statue of The Little Mermaid will return to Denmark in the future

D.Edvard Eriksen wrote the story of the Little Mermaid

 

Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician(魔术师), Liu Qian, discovered it, in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.

As a seasoned young magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK.

Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.

Liu is known for his interaction(互动) with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship (演出技巧).

“It is actually thinking, rather than one’s manipulation(操作)skills, that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more intriguing(吸引人的),”Liu said.

Liu Qian’s success dates back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.

Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur(业余的) magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a decent(体面的)job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.

To refine(升华) his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for pedestrians(路人), policemen and farmers.

“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.

1.Why do people love to watch magic?

A.Because Liu Qian is known for his interaction with his audiences.

B.Because people love watching magicians make the impossible happen.

C.Because people want to know the secret of the magic.

D.Because people are curious about everything.

2.Which word in the following is close to the underlined word “seasoned”?

A.Handsome.

B.Growing.

C.Fruitful.

D.Experienced.

3.What is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?

A.He was good at magic when he was young.

B.He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.

C.He couldn’t find a decent job after graduation.

D.He became an amateur magician in his spare time.

4.The passage is mainly about         .

A.why Liu Qian plays magic well

B.what magic tricks are

C.why people love magic

D.how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician

 

After the U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill aimed at retaliatory(报复的) action against China for its “significantly undervalued” currency, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner urged the IMF to pressure China to adopt “more flexible, more market-directed exchange-rate management”. This is a coded message to China: You’re keeping on purpose your currency cheap, and the U.S. economy is paying the price. So cut it out --- or else. The normally dull IMF meeting became the latest battleground for the U.S. to be against a fast developing China.

    Our new conventional wisdom is that China’s policy leads to make trade deficits (逆差) greater and the loss of American jobs. Dozens of candidates have run ads attacking a competitor for allowing China to take advantage of us. In the election-year view, China grew 10% annually for the past decade while maintaining low inflation(通涨) only by taking advantage of its artificially low currency. The idea that the U.S. is not responsible for its own economy is a black-is-white view. It argues that China and its currency are causing the lion’s share of harm.

This is an argument born of fear. It covers a fact that the economies of China and the U.S. have become beneficial to each other. Those trillions in reserves that China accumulates: Where do they go? Back to the U.S. in the form of lending money to the federal government. Those made-in-China goods that account for the trade deficit: Whom do they benefit? China, yes, but also American consumers and companies. Without China, American companies could not have maintained their profitability in recent years. Take two brand names, Caterpillar and Nike. Both have their products made in China, but both also view China as a fast-growing market for their products.

George Soros warned recently that a currency war could put the world into disorder more damaging than anything caused by the financial crisis of the 1930s. He’s right. Whether we like it or not, we live in a global system. The zero-sum attitude toward China and its currency is a relic, the remaining of an earlier time when nations defined economic life.

China is far from perfect and seeks its own advantage, but holding it accountable for our domestic problems is beyond outdated. It reflects a dangerous refusal to deal with the world as it is. Retaliating against China over currency will not regain high-end jobs in the U.S., which needs more our own demand. It will not renew construction or retool the American labor force. It will not rebuild rotting bridges or create a next-generation energy network.

 

1.Which of the following argument can be supported by the writer?

A. China is the winner in the Sino-US trade.

B. China’s rapid development over the past ten years is based on its low inflation.

C. The world’s economy will benefit from China’s policy changes on its currency.

D. The US will get hurt if it tries hard on damaging China’s economy.

2.This passage is in a tone that is ____________.

A. in favor of China

B. in the shoes of US

C. blaming China’s low currency policy

D. helping IMF solve the world’s economic problem

3.The writer makes his point of view clear through the passage by using _____________.

A. reasonable analysis

B. leaders’ quotations

C. figure examples

D. moving stories

4.China’s currency policy ________.

A. will help increase the demand in the US

B. is unable to equip the American labor force with new working skills

C. could guide the world economy for the next decade

D. is to be controlled by the international currency groups

 

 

 

My grandmother was from a town in Michigan. Summer after summer, I enjoyed staying with my grandparents as a young child. I was from the city and loved the small town they lived in. People knew everyone, their kids, their pets, their ancestors. The bond with them continued to grow as I grew and they got older. Grandma was always using her hands for something exciting. She would make little sandwiches and we’d have tea parties. She’d make beautiful quilts for each one. I remember the small thimble(顶针) she would use while doing her needle work.

A few years ago, when Grandma left this earth, I bid farewell to a loving grandmother. How quickly our lives can change. We had just had tea together a couple of months earlier, on her 91st birthday.

I missed her very much. On one particular birthday, when I was feeling a little low, something happened to make me feel like she was sharing that special day with me. I was arranging some colorful pillows that she had made, and suddenly I felt something inside one pillow. It was small and hard. I moved the object to a seam(接缝) that I carefully opened, and to my delight out came a tiny silver thimble! How happy I was to find something that had been a part of her. Not realizing it had fallen off her finger, I pictured her sewing it in that little pillow that I just happened to place on my bedspead that day. I carefully laid the thimble alongside the others I’ve collected over the years, where I could continue to see the gift God chose to reveal to me. What a precious memory of a very special lady who somehow, I knew, was laughing in delight at sewing her thimble inside my pillow.

I made some tea, using my best china, as Grandma always did, and enjoyed my tea and Grandma’s thimble. What a wonderful birthday that was!

60.The author liked staying with her grandparents because________.

         A.they often bought her some gifts

         B.she was curious about people and things there

         C.she could have tea parties and eat sandwiches

         D.she could learn to sew quilts

61.How did the author feel when she found the silver thimble?

         A.Sad        B.Proud    C.Lucky    D.Cheerful

62.It can be inferred from the passage that the silver thimble________.

         A.was the item the author had been trying to find

         B.was the most treasured possession of Grandma

         C.was very precious to the author

         D.was a birthday gift Grandma had given the author

63.What is the best title for the passage?

         A.A little pillow                     B.Grandma’s silver thimble

         C.My grandparents                 D.My childhood

 

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