The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst

    By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working. With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period.

    Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV. With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first.

For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock. Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show (幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss.

If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking. If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you. If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you .

If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV. Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing.

1.If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch       .

    A. Friday Night Lights                       B. 30 Rock

    C. the Amazing Race                      D. Saturday Night Live

2.From the DVD shows listed above, we can learn that　　　.

    A. two teams won the amazing race

    B. football fans enjoy the Amazing Race

    C. the Bluths care about their family though selfish

    D. 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live have nothing in common

3.The author writes the passage to tell us that        .

    A. the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great

    B. the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation

    C. watching DVD is a good choice during the strike

    D. we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes

4.The passage is most probably taken from       .

    A. a book review    B. a newspaper     C. a film poster     D. a DVD menu

There is a poster below. Read it carefully.
　　VISIT SWANSEA ZOO!
　　Come and see the African elephants and the new tigers from India. The Arctic bears are waiting to meet you, and the monkeys from Zaire are waiting to throw things at you. The hyenas (a flesh-eating animal, like a wolf, with a howl that sounds like wild laughter) from Tanzania are waiting to laugh at you, and the giraffes from Zambia are waiting to look down on you.
　　Tickets
　　Adult: $1.20
　　Children: Over 12: 80 cent
　　 Under 12 : Free
　　Opening Time: 9: 00a. m. ~4: 00p. m.
　　Except Fridays: 10: 00a. m. ~3: 00p. m.
　　KEEP THE ZOO CLEAN!
　　DO NOT FEED,TOUCH OR GO NEAR THE ANIMALS!
【小题1】If you want to visit the Swansea Zoo, what is the best time to go there?

The Writers' Strike：Making the Best of the Worst

    By now you are probably feeling the effects of the TV writers’ strike---the decision of television writers to stop working. With few new TV shows, I present to you a list of shows available on DVD worth your viewing time to keep you going during this painful period.

    Arrested Development is one of the funniest and most clever shows ever to have appeared on network TV. With a most perfect cast(全体演员), the show sets out to cover the daily happenings of the Bluth family, a group of selfish staff who manage to still put family first.

For more comedy goodness, I recommend one of the sharpest comedies to have ever broadcast, 30 Rock. Starring Tina Fey and Alec Baldwin, two stars with impressive comic timing, the show gives you a glimpse into the making of a sketch show (幽默短剧),similar to Saturday Nigth Live, from the funny writers to the self-centered cast all the way up to the boss.

If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps Friday Night lights might be more to your liking. If you are a fan of football, this show is probably for you. If you are a fan of great drama, both soapy and serious, this show is probably for you, If you are a fan of good-looking people, this show is definitely for you .

If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart-pounding excitement? The Amazing Race, after twelve seasons, still remains one of the most exciting shows on TV. Teams of two travel the globe with little to no money and experience far-out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing.

If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch       .

    A. Friday Night Lights                 B. 30 Rock

    C. the Amazing Race                  D. Saturday Night Live

From the DVD shows listed above, we can learn that　　　.

    A. two teams won the amazing race

    B. football fans enjoy the Amazing Race

    C. the Bluths care about their family though selfish

    D. 30 Rock and Saturday Night Live have nothing in common

The author writes the passage to tell us that        .

    A. the effects of the TV writers’ strike are great

    B. the strike puts TV shows in the worst situation

    C. watching DVD is a good choice during the strike

    D. we should choose DVD shows according to our tastes

The passage is most probably taken from       .

    A. a book review    B. a newspaper     C. a film poster     D. a DVD menu

Several times my daughter had telephoned to say, “Mother, you must come to see the daffodils (黄水仙) before they are over，” I wanted to go, but it was a two－hour drive from Laguna to Lake Arrowhead. “I will come next Tuesday，” I promised, a little reluctantly, on her third call.

Next Tuesday dawned cold and rainy. Still, I had promised, and so I drove there. When I finally walked into Carolyn's house and hugged and greeted my grandchildren. I said. “Forget the daffodils, Carolyn! The road is invisible in the clouds and fog, and there is nothing in the world except you and these children that I want to see！”

My daughter smiled calmly and said. “We drive in this all the time, mother. You will never forgive yourself if you miss this experience.”

After about twenty minutes, we turned onto a small gravel road and I saw a small church. On the far side of the church, I saw a hand－lettered sign that read: “Daffodil Garden.”

We got out of the car and each took a child's hand. And I followed Carolyn down the path. Then, as we turned a corner of the path. and I looked up and gasped.Before me lay the most glorious sight. There were five acres of flowers. “But who has done this？” I asked Carolyn. “It's just one woman，” Carolyn answered. “That's her home.” Carolyn pointed to a well－kept A－frame house that looked small and modest in the midst of all that glory. We walked up to the house. On the patio(露台), we saw a poster. “Answers to the Questions I Know You Are Asking” was the headline.

The first answer was a simple one. “50,000 bulbs(球茎)，” it read. The second answer was, “One at a time, by one woman.” The third answer was, “Began in 1958.”

I thought of this woman whom I had never met, who, more than forty years before, had begun—one bulb at a time—to bring the beauty and joy to the mountain top.

6. The author didn't go to see the daffodils at first because ________.

A. she was not interested in them

B. they were growing on a mountain top

C. the weather was not good enough

D. it was a long drive to her daughter's house

7. Which of the following BEST describes the author's feeling seeing the daffodils?

A. Amazed.   B. Disappointed.  　　C. Confused.      　　D. Moved.

8. What do we know about the woman living in the A－frame house?

A. She must be out of mind.

B. She acted as a gardener here.

C. It took her great determination to grow the daffodils.

D. She was poor and made her living by selling daffodils.

9. What would be the BEST title of the passage?

A. A Wonderful Daffodil Garden      　　

B. A Remarkable Woman

C. One Bulb at a Time              　　

D. I Love Daffodils

10. What could the author probably learn from this experience?

A. Nothing is too difficult if you put your heart into it.

B. We must put the interests of others above our own.

C. We can change the world through our own efforts.

D. It's never too late to learn.