When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying: “We have to go to work now,” you’re left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is, until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

　　Stage schools often act as agencies（代理机构）to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

　　A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn’t settle for spending only half the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

　Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 to 80 days.

　The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don’t make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

　People would stop feeling uneasy when realizing that the children they’re talking to________.

　　  A. attend a stage school　　　　  B. are going to the theatre

　　  C. have got some work to do 　　  D. love singing and dancing

　　 In the writer’s opinion, a good stage school should ________.

　　  A. produce star performers

　　  B. help pupils improve their study skills

　　  C. train pupils in language and performing arts

　　  D. provide a general education and stage training.

　“Professional work” as used in the text means ________.

　　  A. ordinary school work　　　　　  B. money-making performances

　　  C. stage training at school 　 　  D. acting, singing or dancing after class

　 Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

　　  A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.　　　　

　　  B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

　　  C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

　　  D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached.

A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! By Rich Ezzo．It took only about an hour to read.

   When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick type of publication．Nothing is wrong with Get Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth．I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.

   When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either．He, too, is hungry far more important than money．

Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review? Simple．I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper．After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money．I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install(安装) a stoplight to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yielded(让路) them as a few ones arrived in town．I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is．

   It has been a week and the effect is the same．I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week．This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I promise．I often recommend books to my daughter, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest”---I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”

   I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself．I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book．You won’t regret it.

The author wrote this passage to _________　

       A．strongly recommend an e-book.

　    B．show the author's attitude to money.

　    C．introduce the general idea of an e-book.

　    D．point out Rich Ezzo isn't money hungry.

According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication ______.

       A．is what the author really cares for

       B．deals with how to make money

       C．is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo

       D．is more popular than e-books

The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading the book because________．

　    A．he was too excited to write anything

　    B．he was not sure whether he did well

　    C．he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission

　    D．he wondered if the book would have long influence on him

By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably __________.

　    A．shows that the book brought him many new thoughts

　    B．shows how bad the traffic is in town

　    C．describes the difficulty in understanding the book

　    D．explains it's hard to change one's attitude to money

Which of the following is supported by the passage?

      A．The author had known Rich Ezzo before.

　    B．The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately.

　    C．The author always prefers e-books to paper books.

　    D．The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications.

When I was born, my parents immediately noticed something wrong. My feet were deformed (畸形的), pointing inward and curling under. I wore casts (石膏) and foot braces (支架) in my first two years to correct the problem. Yet I learned to balance and walk in casts. Soon after the last set of casts came off，Mom enrolled me in dance classes as therapy for my feet. I, however，quickly decided to try something else. Not far from my house was an ice rink (溜冰场) in the mall. There，local skaters would perform ice shows. I wanted to try skating.

I started taking group skating lessons. Performing on ice came naturally. For me，skating has never been about beating others. It’s been about being my personal best. I progressed through various levels rapidly and gave my first ice performance at age seven. Soon I started winning local and regional competitions. That’s because being on the ice has always been the one place I can truly express my emotions. The ice is like home.

I began seriously training when I was nine years old. After graduating from girls’ high school，I moved to Canada. Saying goodbye to my family and friends made me homesick，but I knew deep down that I had to leave and train full－time to give my dreams a chance at reality.

I went to compete in the Olympic Games in 1992.I was the first of the final six skaters on the ice. My long performance started well，but I slipped while landing one of my easiest triple jumps，and my hand touched the ice. I didn’t want to make two mistakes in a row，so next I did a jump with just two spins to play it safe. As I neared the end，I had one more jump. I landed it perfectly.

When medals were awarded，I found myself on the top step，the gold hanging around my neck and America’s national anthem playing. Words can’t describe the overwhelming mixture of emotions I felt.

The author was enrolled in dance classes to________.

       A．meet her interest   

       B．improve her dancing skills

       C．help treat her feet 

       D．prepare her for skating

When the author says “The ice is like home”，she really means she________.

       A．can express herself through her performance on ice

       B．can beat others in local and regional competitions

       C．can overcome her difficulty in walking

       D．has realized her dream to perform on ice

The author moved to Canada after graduating from girls’ high school because________.

       A．she could get better treatment of her feet there

       B．she would do full－time training there

       C．that was where the Olympics would hold

       D．she wanted to have further study there

What do we learn about the author’s performance in the 1992 Olympic Games?

       A．She completed it without any mistake.

       B．She made one mistake on the final landing.

       C．She did it quite well except for one mistake.

       D．She made more than one mistake.

By her own experience，the author intends to tell us________.

       A．we can realize our dream if we have the courage to pursue it

       B．even the disabled can take part in the Olympic Games

       C．sports can help people heal both body and mind

       D．sports events are not about winning only

When a group of children politely stop a conversation with you, saying，“We have to go to work now.” you're left feeling surprised and certainly uneasy. After all, this is the 1990s and the idea of children working is just unthinkable. That is , until you are told that they are all pupils of stage schools, and that the “work” they go off to is to go on the stage in a theatre.

Stage schools often act as agencies (代理机构) to supply children for stage and television work. More worthy of the name “stage school” are those few places where children attend full time, with a training for the theatre and a general education.

A visit to such schools will leave you in no doubt that the children enjoy themselves. After all, what lively children wouldn't settle for spending only hal

f the day doing ordinary school work, and acting, singing or dancing their way through the other half of the day?

Then of course there are times for the children to make a name and make a little money in some big shows. Some stage schools give their children too much professional work at such a young age. But the law is very tight on the amount they can do. Those under 13 are limited to 40 days in the year; those over 13 do 80 days.

The schools themselves admit that not all children will be successful in the profession for which they are being trained. So what happens to those who don't make it? While all the leading schools say they place great importance on children getting good study results, the facts seem to suggest this is not always the case.

1.People would stop feeling uneasy when realising that the children they're talking to  ________.

A. attend a stage school

B. are going to the theatre

C. have got some work to do

D. love singing and dancing 

2.In the writer's opinion, a good stage school should  ________ .

A. produce star performers

B. help pupils improve their study skills

C. train pupils in language and performing arts

D. provide a general education and stage training 

3.“Professional work” as used in the text means  ________ .

A. ordinary school work

B. money?making performances

C. stage training at school

D. acting, singing or dancing after class 

4.Which of the following best describes how the writer feels about stage schools?

A. He thinks highly of what they have to offer.

B. He favours an early start in the training of performing arts.

C. He feels uncomfortable about children putting on night shows.

D. He doubts the standard of ordinary education they have reached. 

When I was about 12,1 had an enemy, a girl who liked to point out my shortcomings．

       Week by week her list grew: I was very thin; I wasn't a good student; I talked too much; I was too proud and so on．I came very angry．1 ran to my father with tears in my eyes．

       He listened to me quietly, then he asked, "Are the things she said true or not? Jane, didn't you ever wonder what you're really like? Well, you now have that girl's opinion．Go and make a list of everything she said．and mark the points that are true．Pay no attention to the other things she said．"

       I did as he told me．To my great surprise, I discovered that about half of the things were true．Some of them I couldn't change （like being very thin）, but a good number I co-aid and suddenly I wanted to change．For the first time I got a fairly clear picture of myself．

       I brought the list back to Daddy．He refused to take it．"That's just for you," he said．"You know better than anyone else, the truth about yourself．But you have to learn to listen, not just closing your ears in anger and feeling hurt．When something said about you is true, you’ll find it will be of help to you．Don't shut your ears．Listen to other people's opinions, but hear the  tmth and do what you know is the right 'thing to do．"

Daddy's advice has returned to me at many important moments．In my life, I've

never had a better piece of advice．

Which do you think would be the best title for this passage?

       A．Not an Enemy, but a Best Friend

       B．The Best Advice I've Ever Had

       C．My Father

       D．My Childhood

What does "Week by week her list grew" mean?

       A．Week by week, my shortcomings grew more serious．

       B．She had written down a list of my shortcomings arid kept on adding new ones to it,

       C．I was having more and more shortcomings as time went on．

       D．Week by week she discovered more shortcomings of mine and pointed them out．

Why did her father listen to her quietly?

       A．Because he believed that what her daughter's enemy said was mostly true．

       B．Because he had teen so angry with his daughter's shortcomings that he wanted to show this by keeping silent for a while．

       C．Because he knew; that his daughter would not listen to him at that moment．

       D．Because he wasn’t quite sure which girl was telling the truth．

What did the father:．do after he heard his daughter's complaint?

       A．He told her not．to．pay any attention to what her "enemy" had said．

       B．He criticized （批评）her and told her to overcome her shortcomings．

       C．He told her to write down all that her "enemy" had said about her and pay attention only to the things that were true．

       D．He refused to take-the list and have a look at it．