C
True End of an Era
SURPRISE, surprise---David Beckham is in the news again! Sure, the England football star was never one to shy away from the headlines. But this time it seems people are talking as much about what Beckham is not doing as what he is.
Beckham won’t be playing for England at the 2010 World Cup in South AfricA． An injury he picked up while playing for AC Milan will likely rule the 34-year-old out for four months. It could be a sad end to the career of a player who has given his all to England since his debut (首次登场) in 1996. But rather than feeling sorry for the loss, some people are finally calling for us to move on from the Beckham obsession (着迷).
“The romantic wish of him seizing the day and inspiring England to glory was poppycock (胡扯),” according to an editorial in the Guardian. It argued that Beckham is past his best and would only have played a minor role at the World Cup anyway. But you might not have guessed it from the reaction of the rest of England.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown sent Beckham a “get well soon” message, and a Scottish poet even wrote a poem about the injury, comparing Beckham to the Greek hero Achilles.
But is it possible to forget about Beckham? Over his career Beckham has embodied (体现) everything the English like to think is good about their country. Beckham was never the most naturally gifted of footballers, but he reached the top through hard work and determination. He never gave up, even when things looked hopeless. And even as a superstar, he never forgot where he came from.
For this, the English took him to their hearts. Not a day goes by without seeing Beckham’s name in the newspapers, but the reality is his fantastic career is coming to the enD．Of course, it is sad that he’ll miss the World Cup, but this is a chance for England to find a new hero.
As a global icon(偶像) we will certainly miss him playing for England in South Africa this summer. But I think it’s time we finally give Beckham a break from the headlines.
Choose the best answer:
66．Which of the following may not be a result of Beckham’s injury?
A．Not being able to take part in the 2010 World Cup in South AfricA．
B．Not being able to play for England for four months.
C．People forgetting him.
D．This injury perhaps ending his career.
67．______ gave Beckham a negative evaluation.
A．Gordon Brown              B．An editorial in the Guardian
C．A Scottish poet              D．Most British people
68．Which is not the reason for it being hard for people to forget Beckham?
A．He has embodied British good characteristics and traits (特征).
B．He is one of the most naturally gifted footballers.
C．He is determined to achieve his goals.
D．He always remembers his country.

Open Letter to an Editor
I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently---one who works for you. In fact, he's one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.
Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume (简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues (问题), approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I'm sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you've given him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.
So why is he looking for a way out?
He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.
The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.
He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he's doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That's what you want for him, too, isn't it?
So your reporter has set me thinking.
Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists---everyone--is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can't do it, they'll find someone who can.
1. What does the writer think of the reporter?
A. Optimistic.     B. Imaginative.   C. Ambitious.    D. Proud.
2. What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?
A. Finding the news value of his stories.   B. Giving him financial support.
C. Helping him to find issues.            D. Improving his good ideas.
3. Who probably wrote the letter?
A. An editor.      B. An artist.       C. A reporter.      D. A reader.
4. The letter aims to remind editors that they should __
A. keep their best reporters at all costs
B. give more freedom to their reporters
C. be aware of their reporters' professional development
D. appreciate their reporters' working styles and attitudes

Open Letter to an Editor

I had an interesting conversation with a reporter recently — one who works for you. In fact, he’s one of your best reporters. He wants to leave.

Your reporter gave me a copy of his resume (简历) and photocopies of six stories that he wrote for you. The headlines showed you played them proudly. With great enthusiasm, he talked about how he finds issues, approaches them, and writes about them, which tells me he is one of your best. I’m sure you would hate to lose him. Surprisingly, your reporter is not unhappy. In fact, he told me he really likes his job. He has a great assignment (分工), and said you run a great paper. It would be easy for you to keep him, he said. He knows that the paper values him. He appreciates the responsibility you’ve given

him, takes ownership of his profession, and enjoys his freedom.

So why is he looking for a way out?

He talked to me because he wants his editors to demand so much more of him. He wants to be

pushed, challenged, coached to new heights.

The reporter believes that good stories spring from good questions, but his editors usually ask how

long the story will be, when it will be in, where it can play, and what the budget is.

He longs for conversations with an editor who will help him turn his good ideas into great ones. He wants someone to get excited about what he’s doing and to help him turn his story idea upside down and inside out, exploring the best ways to report it. He wants to be more valuable for your paper. That’s what you want for him, too, isn’t it?

So your reporter has set me thinking.

Our best hope in keeping our best reporters, copy editors, photographers, artists — everyone — is to work harder to make sure they get the help they are demanding to reach their potential. If we can’t do it,

they’ll find someone who can.

What does the writer think of the reporter?

A. Optimistic.           B. Imaginative.          C. Ambitious.            D. Proud.

What does the reporter want most from his editors in their talks?

A. Finding the news value of his stories.   B. Giving him financial support.

C. Helping him to find issues.           D. Improving his good ideas.

Which of the following is nearest to the meaning of “turn his story idea upside down and inside

out” in the passage?

A. Study his story idea in details.                B. Get some general idea of his story.

C. Turn his writing over and over.          D. Find some reasons to kill his story.

The letter aims to remind editors that they should ______.

A. keep their best reporters at all costs         C. be aware of their reporters’ professional development

B. give more freedom to their reporters           D. appreciate their reporters’ working styles and attitudes

As a young man, Al was a skilled artist．He had a wife and two fine sons．One night, his oldest son developed a serious stomachache．Thinking it was only some   11 intestinal （肠内的）disorder, neither Al nor his wife took the condition very seriously．But the boy  12 suddenly that night．
Knowing the death could have been   13  if he had only realized the seriousness of the situation, Al's emotional health became worse under the huge burden(重负) of his   14     .To make matters worse his wife  15  him a short time later, leaving him alone with his six-year-old younger son．The hurt and pain of the two 16  were more than Al could handle, and he   17  to alcohol(烈酒)．In time Al became an alcoholic.
18__ the alcoholism progressed, Al began to lose everything he 19  — his home, his land, his art objects, everything．20  Al died alone in a San Francisco motel room．
When I heard of Al's death, I thought that Al's life was a complete   21 ．
As time went by, I began to reconsider my earlier judgment．I knew Al's now  22 son, Ernie．He is one of the kindest, most caring, most loving men I have ever known．I watched Ernie with his children and saw the free  23 of love between them．I knew that kindness and caring had to come from somewhere．
I hadn't heard Ernie talk much about his  24__．One day I worked __25 my courage to ask him．"I'm really 26__ by something," I said．"I know your father was 27 _ the only one to raise you．What on earth did he do that you became such a special person?"
Ernie sat quietly and _28_ for a few moments．Then he said, "From my earliest _29 as a child until I left home at 18, Al came into my room every night, gave me a kiss and said, ' I love you, son．' "
Tears came to my eyes as I realized what a fool I had been to __30_ Al as a failure．He had not left any material possessions behind．But he had been a kind loving father, and he left behind one of the finest, most giving men I have ever known．

Li Denghai, with his muddy boots and tanned(晒黑的) face, may not look like he is one of China’s famous agricultural pioneers. But the 61-year-old man from Shandong Province has made scientific breakthroughs(突破), which made great contributions to China’s food security(安全). His main work has been in achieving the higher output of corn production.
Li, who holds the world record for the highest output of summer corn, once says, “Corn has a life; it sings and dances. If you listen clearly, it can speak to you.” He started his research in 1969 when he was 20 and just dropped out of a high school. He then read an article which pointed that corn output per mu in the USA was six times higher than that in China. He was shocked and set out to work on just a small piece of land round the clock to see if he could increase the output. He often went to the field with a flashlight late at night, if he had been away during the day. By careful nurturing (照料) he managed to double the output.
Li Denghai was awarded the “China Award for Significant Contribution to the Maize (玉米) Industry” in 2005, and the same year the company named after his own name came into the market on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange. Li, however, is never happier than when he is in the middle of his cornfields. “I can forget my tiredness when talking to my corns,” he says.
【小题1】When Li Denghai began the study of corn,       .