As poets go, Robert Frost was no longer young when he published his first book of poems, A Boy's Will, in 1913. Though born in San Francisco, he came of a New England family which returned there when he was ten. Like many other writers, he had a brief brush with college and then supported himself by trying different jobs. However, he had been brought up on a farm and he liked farming. Most of all, he liked to write but he could not support himself by writing. In his late 30s he moved to England, where he produced his first book.

At the outbreak of World War I, Frost went back to farming in New Hampshire. Thereafter, although he made many journeys elsewhere, he considered the farm to be his home and its activities became the focus of his poetry.

Frost's verses(诗, 诗体) are a part of a great tradition, shaped by the Roman poet Vergil, whose poetry was mainly about farming. However, though he used farm situations in much of his poetry, he gave them a wide application. He might write about stepping on a rake(耙子) and describe the feeling when it hit him, but he used the incident to show how life gave us lessons.

Some talents in poetry are used up early, but not Frost's. He continued to publish fine poetry for fifty years. He reached the height of his popularity after World War II. If America had a national poet in the 20th century, it was Frost. He was chosen to read one of his poems at the inauguration(就职典礼)of the late President John F. Kennedy, the first poet ever so honored.

The __________ of Robert Frost

Personal Information

Nationality

American

Topic of poetry

__________

Career

_____

Favorite

Writing

____________

Born into a __________ Having a brief brush with college

Trying different jobs_________Publishing his first book of poem in___________

Reaching the height of his popularity after _____________

Achievements

or honors

Publishing fine poetry continually for fifty years

Being regarded as____________

Being ___________to be chosen to read one of his poems at the inauguration of an American President

The World Trade Organization came into existence in the 1990s. It operates a system of trade rules. It serves as a place for nations to settle disagreements and negotiate agreements to reduce trade barriers. The newest of its 150 members, Vietnam, joined in January.
But the roots of the W.T.O. date back to World War Two and the years that followed. In 1944,   the International Monetary(货币的) Conference agreed to create the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. But they could not agree on an organization to deal with international trade.
Three years later, in 1947, twenty-three nations approved the General Agreement on Tariffs (关税)and Trade, or GATT. It was meant to be temporary. Trade negotiations under GATT were carried out in a series of talks called rounds. The first round lowered import taxes on one-fifth of world trade. Later rounds produced additional cuts, and negotiators added more issues.
The sixth round began in 1963. It was called the Kennedy Round after the murder of President John F. Kennedy. The results included an agreement against trade dumping. This is when one country sells a product in another country at an unfairly low price.
The eighth round of talks began in Punta del Este, Uruguay, in 1986. The Uruguay Round lasted almost twice as long as planned. In all, 123 nations took part in seven-and-a-half years of work. They set time limits for future negotiations. They also agreed to create a permanent system to settle trade disagreements.
In April of 1994, most of those 123 nations signed an agreement. It replaced GATT with the World Trade Organization.
The W.T.O. launched a new round on development issues in Doha, Qatar, in November of 2001. These talks were supposed to end by January of 2005. But negotiators could not agree on issues involving agricultural protections. The current round has been suspended since last July.
61. The WTO got this name in the year _____.
A. 1947          B. 1963          C. 1986             D. 1994
62. Which of the following statements about GATT is NOT true?
A. It was set up after World War II.      B. It was first approved by less than 30 countries.
C. It was a branch of the World Bank.   D. It was meant to improve international trade.
63. What does the underlined sentence in the third paragraph mean?
A. The founders wanted GATT to bring in money.
B. The founders didn’t expect GATT to last long.
C. GATT was ready to change its name at the very beginning.
D. GATT was open for more member countries.
64. What is one of the results of the Uruguay Round?
A. A permanent system was agreed on.    B. It lasted almost eight years.
C. More countries took part in it.         D. More disagreements than expected were settled.
65. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
A. Why the WTO was Called GATT?     B. WTO Talk Rounds Last Longer
C. A Brief Introduction to the WTO      D. GATT or WTO? A Real Question

Helen Thomas, born on August 4, 1920, is a famous news reporter, a Hearst Newspapers columnist, and member of the White House Press Corps. She served for fifty-seven years as a correspondent and White House bureau chief for United Press International (UPI). She is called “First Lady of the Press”.
Born in Kentucky, Helen Thomas was raised in Detroit, Michigan where she attended public schools and later graduated from Wayne State University. Upon leaving college, Helen served as a copy girl in an old company in Washington. In 1943, Ms. Thomas joined United Press International and the Washington Press Corps. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club from 1959 to 1960.
In November, Helen began covering then President-elect John F. Kennedy, following him to the White House in January 1961 as a UPI correspondent. She later became White House Bureau Chief for UPI, where she was employed until her resignation on May 17, 2000. Thomas then became a White House correspondent and columnist.
Thomas was the only woman journalist traveling with then President Nixon to China in January, 1972. She has traveled around the world several times with Presidents Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton, during the course of which she covered every Economic Summit. The World Almanac has cited her as one of the 25 Most Influential Women in America. 
On March 21, 2006, Thomas was called upon directly by President Bush for the first time in three years. Thomas asked Bush about Iraq. Helen Thomas has written four books and she is also a popular speaker at events nationwide. 
【小题1】What’s the correct order of the events?
a. Thomas joined the UPI and the Washington Press Corps.
b. Thomas traveled with President Nixon to China.
c. Thomas served as president of the Women’s National Press Club.
d. Thomas resigned.
e. Thomas was called upon by President Bush.
f. Thomas became a White House correspondent and a columnist.

A.a, b, c, d, e, fB.a, c, b, d, f, eC.a, c, b, d, e, fD.a, d, e, f, c, b
【小题2】Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Thomas made speeches about events nationwide.
B.Thomas has written four books.
C.Thomas covered every Economic Summit when traveling with US presidents.
D.Thomas became a correspondent after she graduated from the university.
【小题3】From the passage, we can conclude that Thomas is a _____ woman.
A.courageousB.ambitiousC.successfulD.stubborn
【小题4】After reading the passage it can be inferred that ___.
A.Thomas worked in the White House for 57 years.
B.Thomas is the most influential woman in America
C.President Bush received Thomas once in his term.
D.Thomas has traveled around the world with Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and Clinton.
【小题5】What’s the best title of the passage?
A.The First Lady of the Press—Helen Thomas
B.A Successful News Reporter—Helen Thomas
C.Life Experience of Helen Thomas
D.Helen Thomas and Her Career

As we know, on Saturday, millions of people around the world will celebrate Saint Patrick's Day, which honors Patron Saint (or main religious figure) of Ireland. Communities across the United States will host parades, parties, and other festivities to mark the occasion.

This year, cities like Boston, New York, and Chicago have organized massive events celebrating Saint Patrick's Day. In New York City, hundreds of thousands of people will gather to watch the Saint Patrick’s Day parade—the nation’s largest. It is one of the most watched parades in the world. Last year, almost 2 million spectators and more than 150,000 participants filled the streets. The parade, first held in 1776, is also one of the oldest.

Chicago also throws a big celebration. Every year, the Chicago River, which crosses the city, glows green as event organizers dump about 40 pounds of fluorescence, a powerful dye, into the water.

Boston keeps its parade rolling for three hours or more. It is the nation’s second-largest parade. The city will also salute one of its most famous former residents, President John F. Kennedy, by opening the exhibit "A Journey Home: John F. Kennedy and Ireland," at his official library.

Patron Saint lived in Britain in the early fifth century, when it was still part of the Roman Empire. He was captured and sold into slavery in Ireland when he was only 16.He eventually escaped slavery and turned to a life of religious devotion. He trained to become a minister and set out to spread Christianity throughout Ireland. After 30 years as a religious leader, Patrick died on March 17, 1461.Saint Patrick’s Day is always celebrated on March 17.In Ireland, it is an official holiday.

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

   A. Celebrations across the Country             

B. An Official Holiday in US

   C. The Largest Parade in the World             

D. History of Saint Patrick’s Day

2.The last paragraph is mainly about _____.

   A. the cruel slave trade.            B. Saint Patrick’s contribution.

   C. Ireland’s Patron Saint                             D. activities during Saint Patrick’s Day

3. Which of the following is not correct according to the passage?

    A. Parade is a most important event to observe Saint Patrick’s Day.

    B. Saluting the former president has become a main event on the occasion.

    C. Saint Patrick’s Day is a religious holiday.

    D. The Saint Patrick’s Day parade has a history of over 230 years.

 

 

Wearing ties (领带) was originally (最初) the mark of Britain’s most powerful classes, which made the tie itself a symbol of power and respect. And that led it to be adopted(采用) by a much larger group-the business group.

You cannot wear a tie if you work with machinery (机械). So wearing a tie became a sign that you were a man who used your brain to make a living, rather than your hands. It showed you were serious. It showed you were a professional (专业人员). It meant that everyone who wanted a job in business had to wear one. It was just impossible to take seriously a man who didn’t wear a piece of colored silk around his neck.

This is how millions of people came to be wearing ties across the world. They are part of the uniform (制服) of business.

“Ties offer a point of indifference,” says John Milne, head of the British Guide of Tie Makers, “They give a chance to say something about their own personality.”

So if you happen to meet a man with a very brightly colored tie, there is a good chance that he is the office jobber. There is also a good chance that he will be wearing brightly colored socks.

Is there a future for ties? The signs are not promising. Tie wearing seems to be rare among the new brands of entrepreneurs (创业者) in the Internet and new technology Industries. Many political leaders, including former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, now go without ties. This shows they are men of the people-but not the people wearing ties.

It was common for men across the western world to wear hats as part of their business uniform up until around 1960. That changed with the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States. Kennedy never wore a hat-in fact his nickname was “hatless Jack”. Seeing that the most powerful man in the world did not have to wear a hat, millions of other men decided that they did not have to, either. Hats simply vanished across the Western world. Perhaps “tieless Tony” (former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair) will have the same effect as “hatless Jack”.

56.In Britain, ties were first used as a sign to show a person’s       .

         A. personality  B. social position      C. wearing style       D. favorite hobby

57.The underlined word “vanished” in this passage may mean        .

         A. sold      B. washed        C. appeared     D. disappeared

58.The writer may hold the opinion that       .

         A. Blair is the best leader in the world

         B. Kennedy is the best leader in the world

         C. millions of people will go to work without a tie

         D. people will wear hats instead of ties

59Which of the following statements is TURE according to the passage?

         A. If you are a professional, you can’t wear a tie in Britain.

         B. The tie will become more fashionable and popular in the future.

         C. It was the election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency of the United States that changed the fact that wearing hats as part of their business uniform.

         D. Men across the western world didn’t wear hats as part of their business uniform until around 1960.

60..From the last paragraph we know that ___________.

Wearing ties remains very popular with powerful men in the world.

It is possible that wearing ties will not be fashionable in the future.

Wearing ties shows a man’s social identification, so it is likely that people, especially men around the world still will have to follow this fashion.

It will be inconvenient for people to wear ties and hats at work.

 

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