Although being famous might sound like a dream come true, today’s star, feeling like zoo animals, face pressures that few of us can imagine. They are at the center of much of the world’s attention. Paparazzi (狗仔队) camp outside their homes, cameras ready. Tabloids (小报) publish thrilling stories about their personal lives. Just imagine not being able to do anything without being photographed or interrupted for a signature.

According to psychologist Christina Villareal, celebrities ( famous people名人) worry constantly about their public appearance. Eventually, they start to lose track of who they really are, seeing themselves the way their fans imagine them, not as the people they were before everyone knew their names. “Over time,” Villareal says, “they feel separated and alone.”

The phenomenon of tracking celebrities has been around for ages. In the 4th century B.C., painters followed Alexander the Great into battle, hoping to picture his victories for his admirers. When Charles Dickens visited America in the 19th century, his sold-out readings attracted thousands of fans, leading him to complain about his lack of privacy(隐私). Tabloids(小报) of the 1920s and 1930s ran articles about film-stars in much the same way that modern tabloids and websites do.

Being a public figure today, however, is a lot more difficult than it used to be. Superstars cannot move about without worrying about photographers with modern cameras. When they say something silly or do something ridiculous, there is always the Internet to spread the news in minutes and keep their “story” alive forever.

If fame is so troublesome, why aren’t all celebrities running away from it? The answer is there are still ways to deal with it. Some stars stay calm by surrounding themselves with trusted friends and family or by escaping to remote places away from big cities. They focus not on how famous they are but on what they love to do or whatever made them famous in the first place.

Sometimes a few celebrities can get a little justice. Still, even stars who enjoy full justice often complain about how hard their lives are. They are tired of being famous already.

1.It can be learned from the passage that stars today______

A. are often misunderstood by the public

B. can no longer have their privacy protected

C. spend too much on their public appearance

D. care little about how they have come into fame

2.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A. Great heroes of the past were generally admired.

B. The problem faced by celebrities has a long history.

C. Well-known actors are usually targets of tabloids.

D. Works of popular writers often have a lot of readers.

3.What makes it much harder to be a celebrity(famous people名人)today?

A. Availability(可利用性)of modern media.

B. improper social recognition认可.

C. Lack of favorable chances.

D. Huge population of fans.

4.What is the author’s attitude toward modern celebrity?

A.Sincere B. Skeptical怀疑的.

C. Disapproving不赞成的. D. Sympathetic同情的

My 18-month-old son, Adam, called from the front door. “Look, Mama! Doggie!” I dropped what I was doing and stuck my head out of the door. Brandy, our next-door neighbor’s 11-year-old dog, was over again. “Go away!” I shouted.

Brandy’s owner had died about a month earlier. The woman’s family had emptied the house and stuck a “For Sale” sign in the front yard, but the family had left old Brandy behind. For weeks, she’d been wandering around the neighborhood.

It wasn’t that I disliked dogs or anything like that. I just didn’t think about them very much. I never had a dog growing up and had never thought to get one.

Brandy went away and I stayed outside with Adam. Then the phone rang. I went inside to take the call. When I came back, Adam was gone. I searched the yard, front and back, then the basketball court and public pool. No trace of him. I was so nervous that I ran home and called the police, then my husband.

Police searched the neighborhood. Suddenly I heard anothersound: a dog barking. “It’s coming from the woods,” one of my neighbors said. We followed the barking to a wooded cliff(悬崖). There we found my son, and he was just inches away from the edges of the cliff, fast asleep. Brandy was beside him, leaning(斜靠着)against him to keep him away from the edge(边缘). When I picked Adam up, Brandy sank down on her side, breathing quickly. She must have been holding Adam there for hours!

I thanked the police and brought Adam and Brandy back to our house. She hesitated a moment on our doorstep, no doubt remembering the time I’d driven her away.

“Come on, girl,” I said. “This is your home now. ” Brandy stepped in, and once she saw she was really welcome, she relaxed and lay down on the floor just inside the door. She’d done a great thing, and I wondered if she knew it. She’d certainly touched me in a way that no animal ever had. What a pity a dog like Brandy had been left behind!

1.What is the correct order for the events in the story about Brandy?

a. She was left behind by her owner’s family.

b. She stepped into the woman’s house.

c. She appeared at the woman’s front door.

d. She stayed beside the woman’s son for hours.

A. d, c, b, a B. a, c, b, d

C. c, d, b, a D. a, c, d, b

2.What did the woman do when she first saw Brandy?

A. She gave her some food. B. She took her home.

C. She drove her away. D. She said thank you to her.

3.How were they able to be aware that the woman’s son was near the cliff?

A. By searching the neighborhood.

B. By hearing a dog barking.

C. By following a dog’s footsteps.

D. By hearing her son’s crying.

4.What’s the woman’s attitude towards Brandy at the end of the story?

A. Gratitude. B. Dislike.

C. Sympathy. D. Indifference.

I was required to read one of Doctor Bernie Siegel’s books in college and was moved by his positivity (积极的人生观)from that moment on. The stories of his unusual and the exceptional(非凡的) patients he wrote about were so to me and had such a big on how I saw life from then on. Who knew that so many years later I would look to(依赖) Dr. Bernie and his books again to my own cancer experience?

I’m an ambitious , and when I started going through chemo (化疗) , even though I’m a very person, I lost my drive(动力) to write. I was just too tired and not in the . One day, while waiting to go in for , I had one of Dr. Bernie’s books in my hand. Another patient what I was reading and struck up(=start) a conversation with me he had one of his books with him as well. It that among other things, he was an eighty-year-old writer. He was52 a published author, and he was currently现在 on a new book.

We would see each other at various times and friends. Sometimes he wore a duck hat, and I would tell myself, he was definitely a(n) of Dr. Bernie. He really put a on my face.He unfortunately last year due to his cancer, he left a deep impression on me and gave me the to pick up my pen again. I thought to myself, “If he can do it, then can I.”

1.A. tastes B. ideas C. notes D. memories

2.A. amazing B. shocking C. amusing D. strange

3.A. strike B. push C. challenge D. influence

4.A. learn from B. go over C. get through D. refer to

5.A. reader B. writer C. editor D. doctor

6.A. positive B. agreeable C. humorous D. honest

7.A. mood B. position C. state D. way

8.A. advice B. reference C. protection D. treatment

9.A. viewed B. knew C. noticed D. wondered

10.A. while B. because C. although D. providing

11.A. turned out B. worked out C. proved out D. came out

12.A. actually B. merely C. hopefully D. naturally

13.A. deciding B. investing C. working D. relying

14.A. became B. helped C. missed D. visited

15.A. patient B. operator C. fan D. publisher

16.A. sign B. smile C. mark D. mask

17.A. showed up B. set off C. fell down D. passed away

18.A. since B. but C. so D. for

19.A. guidance B. trust C. opportunity D. courage

20.A. neither B. so C. and D. nor

WHAT’S the most important thing of life?

People’s answers vary greatly. For British scientist Robert Edwards,the answer is having a child.“Nothing is more special than a child,”he told the BBC.

Edwards,the inventor of the In Vitro Fertilization(IVF)technology—more commonly known as“test?tube(试管)baby”technology—passed away on April 10 ,2013 at the age of 87.

Edwards changed the lives of millions of ordinary people who now rejoice(充满喜悦)in the gift of their own child,”said Peter Braude,professor at King’s College London.“He leaves the world a much better place.”

Edwards started his experiments as early as the 1950s,when he had just finished his PhD in genetics. At that time,much of the public viewed test-tube babies as“scary”,according to Mark Sauer,professor at Columbia University,US.

Edwards and his colleague Patrick Steptoe faced opposition from churches,governments and media,not to mention attacks from many of their fellow scientists.“People said that we should not play God and we should not interfere with nature,”Edwards once told Times. He said that he felt “quite alone” at the time.

“But Edwards was a fighter,and he believed in what he was doing,”said Sauer. Without support from the government,the two struggled to raise funds to carry on. And in 1968 they finally developed a method to successfully fertilize human eggs outside the body.

The first test-tube baby was born on July 25,1978.Her name was Louise Brown. Despite people’s safety concerns,Brown was just as healthy as other children.

“IVF had moved from vision to reality and a new era in medicine had begun,”BBC commented.

Ever since then,public opinion has evolved considerably. Couples who were unable to have babies began thronging(蜂拥)to Edwards’ clinic. Nowadays,Reuters reports,some 4.3 million other“test-tube” children exist. Edwards received a Nobel Prize in 2010 and was knighted(封为爵士)by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ the following year.

Before his death,Edwards was still in touch with Louise.“He is like a granddad to me,”she said in an interview with the Daily Mail.

He is a granddad to millions, in fact.

1.What is the article mainly about?

A.The first test-tube baby.

B.A new era in medicine.

C.The inventor of IVF technology.

D.The changes IVF technology has brought.

2.The writer quoted Peter Braude to ________.

A.show how difficult it was for Edwards to do his work

B.describe what kind of person Edwards was

C.explain why he is loved by all children

D.comment on his achievement

3.The underlined word“opposition”in Paragraph 6 is closest in meaning to ________.

A.attack B.support

C.test D.influence

4.What is the CORRECT order of events in Edwards’ life?

a.He received a Nobel Prize.

b.He struggled to raise funds.

c.The first test-tube baby was born.

d.He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ.

e.He succeeded in fertilizing human eggs outside the body.

f.He started his experiments on IVF technology.

A.f—e—b—c—a—d B.f—b—e—c—d—a

C.f—b—e—c—a—d D.f—e—d—a—c—b

Success is often measured by the ability to overcome adversity. But, it is often the belief of others that gives us the courage to try.

J. K. Rowling, author of the Harry Potter book series,began writing at the age of 6. In her biography, she remembers with great fondness when her good friend Sean, whom she met in secondary school, became the first person to encourage her and help build the confidence that one day she would be a very good writer.

“He was the first person with whom I really discussed my serious ambition to be a writer. He was also the only person who thought I was bound to be a success at it, which meant much more to me than I ever told him at the time.”

Despite many setbacks, Rowling persevered in her writing, particularly fantasy stories. But it wasn't until 1990 that she first conceived the idea about Harry Potter. As she recalls,it was on a long train journey from London to Manchester that the idea of Harry Potter simply fell into her head.“To my immense frustration (沮丧), I didn't have a functioning pen with me, and I was too shy to ask anybody if I could borrow one. I think, now, that this was probably a good thing, because I simply sat and thought, for four (delayed train) hours, and all the details bubbled up in my brain, and this scrawny, black?haired, bespectacled(戴眼镜的) boy who didn’t know he was a wizard became more and more real to me.”

That same year, her mother passed away after a ten?year battle with multiple sclerosis, which deeply affected her writing. She went on to marry and had a daughter, but separated from her husband shortly afterwards.

During this time, Rowling was diagnosed with clinical depression. Unemployed, she completed her first novel in area cafes, where she could get her daughter to fall asleep. After being rejected by 12 publishing houses, the first Harry Potter novel was sold to a small British publishing house.

Now with seven books that have sold nearly 400 million copies in 64 languages, J. K. Rowling is the highest earning novelist in history. And it all began with her commitment to writing that was fostered by the confidence of a friend !

1.Rowling first came up with the idea about Harry Potter________.

A. at the age of 6

B. on a train journey

C. after her mother’s death

D. in her secondary school

2.It can be concluded from Paragraph 5 and 6 that Rowling is________.

A. open?minded B. warm?hearted

C. good?natured D. strong?willed

3.The text mainly tells us________.

A. hardship makes a good novelist

B. the courage to try is a special ability

C. you can have a wonderful idea everywhere

D. encouragement contributes to one’s success

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Face adversity(逆境)with a smile

I told my friend Graham that I often cycle the two miles from my house to the town centre but unfortunately there is a big hill on the route. He replied, "You mean .”He explained that I should be glad of the exercise that the hill provided.

My to the hill has now changed .I used to as I approached it but now I tell myself the following. This hill will exercise my heart and lungs. It will help me to and get fit. It will mean that I live longer. This hill is my friend.__ ,I have a smile of as I reach the top of the hill.

Problems are there to be faced and .We cannot achieve anything with a/an life. Helen Keller was the first deaf and blind person to an University degree. She wrote, ‘Character cannot be in ease and quiet. Only through of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired and success achieved."

One of the main of success in life is our attitude towards adversity. At times we all face hardships, problems, accidents and difficulties. we cannot choose the adversity, we can choose our attitude towards it.

Douglas Bader was 21 when in 1931 he had both legs amputated(截肢)following a flying accident. He was to fly again and went on to become one of the leading flying aces(擅长的人).He was a/an to others during the war. He said ,“Don't listen to anyone who tells you that you can't do this or that. That's nonsense. your mind, and you'll never crutches(拐杖)or a stick, then have a go at everything. Go to school, join in all the games you can. Go _you want to. But never, never let them you that things are too difficult or impossible.’’

1.A. slowly B. fortunately C.carefully D.quickly

2.A. abundant B. proper C.extra D. necessary

3.A. attitude B. access C. entrance D. affection

4.A. climb B. confuse C. comment D.complain

5.A. put on weigh B. gain weight C. lose weight D.take my weight

6.A. Gradually B.Finally C. Rarely D. Approximately

7.A. satisfaction B. devotion C. decoration D. caution

8.A. understood B. clarified C. defeated D. overcome

9.A. tough B. difficult C. easy D. reasonable

10.A. gain B. accept C. accomplish D. admire

11.A. founded B.produced C. constructed D. developed

12.A. happiness B.experiences C. difficulties D.pressures

13.A. emphasis B. conflicts C. factors D. powers

14.A. While B. As C.Because D.If

15.A. devoted B.determined C. commanded D.forced

16.A. appreciation B.qualification C.inspiration D. destination

17.A.Open up B. Make up C. Come to D. Come into

18.A.reject B. deliver C.abandon D. use

19.A. anywhere B. everywhere C.nowhere D. somewhere

20.A. advise B. attempt C. request D. Persuade

At thirteen, I was diagnosed(诊断) with a kind of attention disorder. It made school difficult for me. When everyone else in the class was focusing on tasks, I could not.

In my first literature class, Mrs. Smith asked us to read a story and then write on it, all within 45 minutes. I raised my hand right away and said, “Mrs. Smith, you see, the doctor said I have attention problems. I might not be able to do it.”

She glanced down at me through her glasses, “you are no different from your classmates, young man.”

I tried, but I didn’t finish the reading when the bell rang. I had to take it home.

In the quietness of my bedroom, the story suddenly all became clear to me. It was about a blind person, Louis Braille. He lived in a time when the blind couldn’t get much education. But Louis didn’t give up. Instead, he invented a reading system of raised dots(点), which opened up a whole new world of knowledge to the blind.

Wasn’t I the “blind” in my class, being made to learn like the “sighted” students? My thoughts spilled out and my pen started to dance. I completed the task within 40 minutes. Indeed, I was no different from others; I just needed a quieter place. If Louis could find his way out of his problems, why should I ever give up?

I didn’t expect anything when I handed in my paper to Mrs. Smith, so it was quite a surprise when it came back to me the next day--- with an “A” on it. At the bottom of the paper were these words: “ See what you can do when you keep trying?”

1.The author didn’t finish the reading in class because .

A. He was new to the class

B. He was tried of literature

C. He had an attention disorder

D. He wanted to take the task home

2.What do we know about Louis Braille from the passage?

A. He had good sight B. He made a great invention.

C. He gave up reading D. He learned a lot from school

3.What was Mrs. Smith ‘s attitude to the author at the end of the story?

A. Angry B. Impatient C. Sympathetic D. Encouraging

4.What is the main idea of the passage?

A. The disabled should be treated with respect.

B. A teacher can open up a new world to students.

C. One can find his way out of difficulties with efforts.

D. Everyone needs a hand when faced with challenges.

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