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, 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 aired－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 Night Live, from the funny writers to the self­centered cast all the way up to the boss.

If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps more juicy, 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 good­looking people, this show is definitely for you.

If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart­pounding 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 far­out adventures in an attempt to remain the last team standing.
【小题1】If you are fond of soapy TV shows, you will probably choose to watch________.

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, 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 aired－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 Night Live, from the funny writers to the self­centered cast all the way up to the boss.

 If you are looking for something more serious, or perhaps more juicy, 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 good­looking people, this show is definitely for you.

If those shows were not enough for you, might I recommend a show with a more heart­pounding 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 far­out 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

Welcome to one of the largest collections of footwear(鞋类)in the world that will make you green with envy. Here at the Footwear Museum you can see exhibits(展品)from all over the world. You can find out about shoes worn by everyone from the Ancient Egyptians to pop stars.

Online education is becoming a popular learning choice to traditional colleges. Most colleges offer online programs in various fields and levels, which allows students to go on with their education over the Internet. Students must keep in mind that the college they wish to apply to must be approved by a related recognized organization.
So who can really benefit from an online program? Well, anybody, and everybody! Online programs can turn out to be a pocket-friendly choice to a traditional college for many people. Here’s a list of people who usually consider joining in an online degree program;
l Stay-at-home parents. Online education is perfect choice for stay-at-home parents and those who have very young kids. Online classes give them the flexibility to complete or further their education while looking after home and family and without worrying about childcare.
l Working professionals who want to further their education but travel a lot or have extremely busy schedules, as well as those who want to make a career change but do not have the time to enroll in a full-time degree program.
l People who cannot commute(乘车上下班)to a college campus.
l Shy students who might feel embarrassed among a group of people and prefer to study by themselves and at their own pace.
l People who want to save money. Online programs can turn out to be more cost-effective than attending a physical classroom.
l People who do not get distracted (分心的)easily — something many people overlook when considering online education. If you are someone who can easily ignore the ringing of a phone, stay away from TV, and resist all other things that may draw your attention, online programs are for you.
So do you think online education is for you? If you feel you belong to any of the above listed categories, then online education could work out very well for you.
【小题1】What should students consider when they apply to an online program?

Rachael lives in Wisconsin and has lived there all her life. She is just an average girl; at first when you are around her, she seems to be very shy. If you get to know her, she’ll start to open up but always keep things to herself.
Sports are something that keeps her going, a way to release stress. Usually, you will see Rachael out with friends or just sitting down reading a good book. She takes pride in the fact that she can read a whole book in one day, and that she still doesn’t consider herself a bookworm.
Some people call Rachael strange because of things she does. She’s learned to disregard what other people think because she just doesn’t care any more. She likes to surround herself with people like her so it makes he feel like she is the less strange one in most situations.
Rachael wants to be two completely different people in her life. A communication journalist for one, she has always wanted to be that person. The second possible career would be lawyer. It’s a huge goal, and one day you’ll see her doing something she loves.
Influenced by her parents, Rachael enjoys listening to all kinds of music. Rarely, if ever, do you see her without some sort of music. Every morning you can see Rachael in her bathroom getting ready for school with her player at maximum volume(音量).Her parents always get mad at her about that, but she can’t hear them anyway over the music. They don’t know that she uses their surround sound stereo when they aren’t at home!
【小题1】 Rachael likes to be with people like her because_______.

A．Rachael likes to be different from others

B．Rachael never reads books carefully

C．Rachael will be a lawyer in the future

D．Rachael’s parents also like music