It was the last day of July and the long hot summer was drawing to a close As for me1 was out of spiritsandif the truth must be told, out of money as wellDuring the past year I had not managed my finances as carefully as usualand 1 was now limited to spending the autumn economically between my mother’s cottage at Hampstead and my own in town.

? My father had been dead for some yearsand my sister and 1 were the sole survivors of a family of five children. My father was a drawing-master before me He had been highly successful in his profession and my mother and sister were left economically independent after his death.

??? The view of London below me had sunk into the black shadow of the cloudy night, when I stood before the gate of my mother’s cottage I had hardly rung the bellWhen the house door was opened violentlyMy worthy Italian friendProfessor Pescaappeared in the servant’s placeand rushed out joyously to receive me

??? I had first become acquainted(熟悉)with my Italian friend at certain great houseswhere he taught Italian and I taught drawing What I then knew of the history of his life was that he had left Italy for political reasons and that he had been respectably established for many years in London as a teacher of languages It once happened that I saved him from certain death by drowning while we

were swimming in the sea at Brighton Afterwards he overwhelmed(淹没)me with the wildest expressions of affection and exclaimed passionately, that he would hold his life at my disposal from then on, and declared that he should never be happy again until he had had the opportunity of proving his gratitudeLittle did I think that the occasion to serve me was soon to come

? Pesca dragged me in by both hands into the parlor, where my mother sat by the open window, laughing and fanning herselfPesca was one of her especial favoritesand his wildest strange acts were always pardonable in her eyes

? “Now, my good dears”began Pesca“listen to me The time has come I recite my good newsI speak at last…'Hear, hear!”said my mother, humoring the joke“I go back into my lifeand I address myself to the noblest of menwho found me dead at the bottom of the seaand who pulled me up to the top. What did I say when l got into my own life and my own clothes again? I said that my life belonged to my dear friendWalter, for the rest of my days Now,”cried the enthusiastic little mall at the top of his voice“happiness bursts out of me at every pore of my skinFor I have found a job for you”

1.The first two paragraphs of the passage serve as an introduction to——

A. the financial situation the writer then faced?

B. the season that the story was set in

C. the family members of the writer????????

D. the successful profession of the writer’s father

2.The underlined word‘‘sole’’in the second paragraph probably means‘‘?????????

Amain??? ????? B. only??? ????? C. lucky ??????? D. possible

3.It can be learned from the passage that Pesca ??????????

A. used to be a politician??? ???????

B. was a successful drawing-master

C. was quite close to the mother ????

D. wanted to give the writer some money in return

4.According to the last paragraphPesca was more than happy because ?????????? ?????

A. he went back into his life????????

B . he met his dear friend again

C. his friend ever saved his life?????

D. he had done something good for his friend

 

It's time to remind myself what I love about life here in California,USA, to remember what I desperately miss when I go home.

Real radio

In the USA there are so many radio stations that those iPod tuner things don’t work at all. There is, simply, no dead air. It took me a while to discover the USA's many pub­lic radio stations, which don't broadcast any advertisements. KCRW is my favorites station, for its blend of indie music and current affairs. But I also listen to KJAZZ and KPCC. But before you feel jealous it’s all online. My favorites: American life Snap Judgement and Henry Rollins live every Saturday night. Take listen online for free News? Well, there's not a lot of news from South Africa, and when it is, it's bad and full of fear, so I ignore it. But I care about any place I live in, and that includes the USA. And on public radio, the USA is covered in depth, from the perspective of individual stories rather than statistics.

The festivals

I’m jealously watching tweets and Facebook boasts and reviews from SXSW — seems like half the people I used to work with in South Africa are there,meeting Grumpy Cat and watching bands they’ve always wanted to see live. It’s great to know that these 1000s of festivals are so close, and that one day,if film school schedule ever allows me to leave campus for more than a few days, I can go to one or two of them. I have already ex­changed my much loved Ford Mustang for a bigger, less sexy car — a car spacious enough to sleep in — so that next year I can be there, not just dream of it.

The famous people

When I go back to SA, I'm often asked if I’ve spotted any famous people. It's awkward for me. I feel the the same way about it as I feel when an American asks me if there are lions in the streets. Except yes, I have. No,not lions. I have met some famous people. I chatted to RJ Mitte from Breaking Bad outside a dub in West Hollywood. Many of my professors are famous directors. The problem is, once you meet these famous people, they're just people, FFS. This feels disappointing at first, like you're missing a Jesus mo­ment of some sort. But if you think about it, it's inspiring. What it means, is that I, litlle me (right now, also "just a person") could be a famous just-a-person person one day, and get to make all the films I just dream of now.

1.The underlined sentence "There is,simply, no dead air." probably means____.

A. there is no useless radio programmes in the USA

B. there is no useful radio programmes in the USA

C. there is no polluted air in the USA

D. there is no advertisements from the radio programmes in the USA

2.There are so many festivals that_____.

A. I often leave campus for more than few days

B. I often attend some of them in person

C. I bought a bigger Ford? Mustang

D. I can share many reviews and performances online with my friends in South Africa

3.The author thinks the famous people in the USA _____.

A. are just Like lions????????????? ???????????? B. are well-known but ordinary

C. are disappointing????????????? D. are inspiring

4.The author is most likely to be _____.

A. a director in America????????????? ?????????? B. a professor in South Africa

C. a student in America????????????? ???????? D. an actor in South Africa

 

Whether I’m looking for a good chat with some old Mends or a quiet place to meet a colleague, the pub will be the place I always choose.

I could, of course, go to a bar. But a pub, I always find, is far more comfortable and has a more relaxed atmosphere.

Many people in the UK also have a favorite pub at the end of the road where they live or nearby to where they work. I can almost always guarantee that I’ll bump into someone I know at my “local”, as we British call our nearest pub.

In fact, many people from the UK say that the pub is a cornerstone (基础) of British life. Coming together over a drink, usually of beer, is generally con­sidered the best way to catch up with friends. For those who are a little reserved (内向的), as the British sometimes are, it’s the best way to open up and get chatting.

However, this habit is slowly changing among some British people. According to a survey completed in August by UK trade magazine The Publican, eating, rather than drinking, has become the main source of income for our 52,000 pubs.

The gastropub (美食酒吧), with its greater emphasis on food, is primarily responsible. All over the country, this more expensive type of pub has been springing up, providing a place for more formal meetings with business partners. Wine is often drunk instead of the traditional beer.

But not everyone’s happy. Many people hate the fact that some local pubs are closing because new gastropubs are proving more profitable. “Beer sales are sinking and many pubs are struggling to survive,” Rob Haward, of the British Beer and Pub Association, told UK newspaper The Daily Mail.

For my part, I’m going to do all I can to keep the local British pub alive. It will be the first place I visit when I go back home.

1..   The article is mainly about         .

A. the British pub losing popularity             B. the author’s love of pubs

C. how the British socialize                     D. the local British pub

2..  Many British people say that the pub is a cornerstone of British life because         .

A. it is nearby and convenient

B. it is a great place for meeting friends

C. it is far more comfortable than a bar to have a drink

D. it is easy to bump into people they know in a pub ,

3..  From the text, we can conclude that gastropubs         .

A. will replace the local pubs

B. attach more importance to drinks

C. are somewhere between a restaurant and a bar

D. attract beer lovers as well as wine lovers

4..   Which of the following is TRUE according to the article?

A. The author is in favor of gastropubs.

B. Wine is thought to show one’s class and taste.

C. British people do not go to pubs as often as be­fore.

D. Local pubs are being seriously affected by gastropubs.

 

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