As a senior, my future is always on my mind. To be exact, thoughts of the future have kept me up countless nights and made me worry enough to do poorly on more than one test. Because of this, words of wisdom are a source of comfort. Steve Jobs gave a speech to Stanford’s graduating class in 2005 and his words resound repeatedly in my mind whenever I think about my future.

     It wasn’t always like that, though. It started when I became a junior, when college came into view. It’s the first big step to making your life your own. So when Jobs discussed his life as a student, some fears were eased. He, too, felt the need to attend college to make something of himself. He faced what many are extremely afraid of: uncertainty. His lack of understanding caused him to stop attending college and focus on what he felt was important. His story had a happy ending, of course, since he certainly turned out well.

This doesn’t mean that students shouldn’t attend college, but rather that they shouldn’t worry so much. You’ll get where you need to go, even if your path is a bit more winding than you’d like.

     Jobs talked about the hardships in his work. His love of his work helped him carry on and he got where he was meant to be, which restates the point: don’t panic.

    One particular part of his speech stayed with me. Steve Jobs quoted the saying “Stay hungry, stay foolish” and it has become my motto. Staying foolish is realizing that you are still a fool, no matter how much you’ve learned or experienced. There is always more to explore. Staying hungry is wanting to find those things about which you are still uneducated.

    Steve Jobs’s level of success is attainable, and I aim to prove that. With the will power to go into the world living every day like it’s my last and allowing the future to take care of itself, I will do great things. In the last moments of my life, I’ll be proud of what I have done and hope to have all the wisdom a person could wish for.

1.The author felt worried when _________.

A. he had to take tests at school          B. he thought about his future

C. he had lots of sleepless nights         D. he searched for words of wisdom

2.What did the author gain from Jobs’s speech?

A. Courage to drop out of school.         B. Confidence in defeating Jobs.

C. Interest in computer industry.          D. Bravery to face uncertainties.

3.What did NOT Steve Jobs encourage students to do in his speech?

A. Have the desire to learn more.         B. Be content with what they know.

C. Stay calm in the face of hardships.      D. Be modest so as to learn more.

 

The USA is a land of immigrants. Between 1815 and 1914, the world witnessed the greatest peaceful migration in its history: 35 million people, mostly Europeans, left their homelands to start new lives in America. Why did these people risk everything by leaving their homes and families?

First, what forced emigrants to make the decision to leave? One major cause for European farmers to leave was the rise in population which in turn led to land hunger. Another was politics. There was an increased taxation（稅收） and the growth of armies, and many young men fled eastern Europe to avoid being forced to join the army.

Physical hunger provided another pressing reason. Following the collapse （衰退）of the economy of southern Italy in the 1860s, hundreds of thousands decided to start a new life in America. Religion also encouraged millions to leave the Old World.

In short, people chose to leave their homes for social, economic and religious reasons. As a result, by 1890 among a total population of 63 million, there were more than nine million foreign-born Americans.

But what were the attractions? First of all, there was the promise of land which was so scarce in Europe. Next, factories were calling for workers, and pay conditions were much better than back home. Men were needed to open up the West and build the long railroads, and new towns needed settlers to live in and to develop business. There was the space for religious people to practice their faith in peace.

This immigration meant that by around the 1850s Americans of non-English had started to be more than those of English. As we know, there were losers. To start with, there were those unwilling immigrants, the slaves who had been used as a source of cheap labour. Nor should we forget the equally unlucky American Indians. By 1860 there were 27 million free whites, four million slaves and a mere 488,000 free blacks.

Nowadays, the USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land. As always, it remains an attractive place to those who think it will offer them a second chance.

1.What is not the cause for people to leave their homeland?

A. The search for religious freedom.

B. The search for adventure.

C. Unwillingness to join the army.

D. Economics.

2.Why was life of the 19th Century European farmers difficult?

A. There was no land.

B. There was no peace.

C. The population had gone down.

D. There were too many of them.

3. Which of the following was not an attraction of the USA?

A. Employment                                                               B. A healthy life

C. freedom of religion                                          D. Business opportunities

4.What is the topic of this passage?

A. The USA is still seen by millions as the Promised Land.

B. The USA is a land of immigrants.

C. Religion encouraged millions to leave the Old World.

D. About one-eighth of non-native born Americans live in the USA in 1890.

5. The American Indians __________.

A. were as fortunate as the slaves    

B. were more unfortunate than the slaves

C. were the most unfortunate  

D. were as unfortunate as the slaves

 

Humans are naturally drawn to other life forms and the worlds outside of our own. We take delight in the existence of creatures and even whole societies beyond our everyday lives.

This sense of wonder is universal. Look at the efforts that scientists have made to find out whether life of some kind exists on Mars, and the popularity of fantasy(幻想) literature or movies like The Lord of the Rings. This sense of wonder draws us to each other, to the world around us, and to the world of make-believe(虛假). But have we gone so far in creating worlds of fantasy that we are missing the pleasure of other worlds that already exist all around us?

Human beings, as biologists have suggested, possess an inborn desire to connect with and understand other life forms. However, people, especially in big cities, often lead rather isolated(隔離的) lives. In a study of British schoolchildren, it was found that children by age eight were much more familiar with characters from television shows and video games than with common wildlife. Without modern technology, a small pond could be an amazing world filled with strange and beautiful plants, insects, birds, and animals. When we lack meaningful interaction(交互) with the world around us, and sometimes even with our families and friends, we seek to understand and communicate with things that exist only in our imaginations or on a computer screen。

The world of make-believe is not necessarily bad. But when the world of fantasy becomes the only outlet(出路) for our sense of wonder, then we are really missing something. We are missing a connection with the living world. Other wonderful worlds exist all around us. But even more interesting is that if we look closely enough, we can see that these worlds, in a broad sense, are really part of our own.

1.The popularity of The Lord of the Rings proves        .

A. the close connection between man and the fantasy world

B. the wonderful achievements of fantasy literature

C. the general existence of the sense of curiosity

D. the fine taste of moviegoers around the world

2.What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 3?

A. The world around us could serve as a source of wonder.

B. People are far less familiar with the world of fantasy.

C. The world of fantasy can be mirrored by a small and lively pond.

D. Modern technology prevents us from developing our sense of wonder.

3.If our sense of wonder relies totally on the world of make-believe, we will       

A. be confused by the world of make-believe

B. fail to appreciate the joy in our lives

C. miss the chance to recognize the fantasy world

D. be trapped by other worlds existing all around us

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A. To show us the hidden beauty in our world.

B. To discuss the influence of the world of make-believe.

C. To argue against the misuse of the sense of wonder.

D. To warn us not to get lost in the fantasy world.

 

The International Summer School of Scotland’s creative writing course is designed for students aged between 13 and 18 of all levels and interests who have a desire to explore their ability and challenge themselves creatively. Introductory and advanced workshops will introduce students to all the stages of the writing process, including thinking of ideas, writing and revising drafts and editing.

1) Discover writing through a range of creative projects including writing essays, short stories and poetry.

2) Learn tools and ways needed to discover your own voice.

3) Learn how to use the world around you as a source of ideas and inspiration.

4) Benefit from regular writing practice.

5) Help produce the summer school magazine and get your work in print.

All students will work together to produce The International Summer School of Scotland’s creative writing magazine which will include a selection of their creative work.

Program Dates:

Session 1: July 4th — July 25th, 2010

Session 2: July 28th — August 18th, 2010

In addition to our academic programs we also offer some in-depth elective courses. Part of the summer school students will have the opportunity to join in one of the following electives: golf, theatre, film, art and tennis. These courses will enable summer school students to discover and experience exciting subjects while gaining new skills and expertise (專門(mén)知識(shí)).

The timetable below shows a typical week at the International Summer School of Scotland.

	Monday/Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday/Friday	Saturday	Sunday
8:00—9:00	Breakfast	At 10:00 Breakfast Free Time
9:00—12:00	Academic Classes	A Cultural Trip
12:00—13:00	Lunch
13:00—16:00	Elective Classes	A Cultural Trip	Elective Classes
16:00—18:00	Sporting Activity	Sporting Activity
18:00—19:30	Evening Meal
19:30—21:30	Evening Activity

1.You can attend the creative course if you are at the age of      .

A．12               B．14               C．19               D．21

2.How long does each of the sessions last according to the passage?

A．About half a month.                     B．Around a month.

C．About three weeks.                      D．Around two months.

3.From the passage we can know that      .

A．the school is open to children from rich families

B．students in the school have to work in the workshop

C．students in the school can benefit by selling the magazines

D．not all students in the school have to play golf

4.What activity may students in the school do between 16:00 and 18:00 on Wednesday?

A．Academic Classes.                       B．Sporting Activity.

C．A Cultural Trip.                         D．Elective Classes.

 

Although man has known asbestos for many hundreds of years, it was not until 160 years ago that it was mined for the first time on the North American continent. H. W. Johns, owner of a New York City Supply Shop for roofers, was responsible for(對(duì)…負(fù)責(zé)) the opening of that first mine.

Mr. Johns was given a piece of asbestos which had been found in Italy. He experimented with the material and then showed its surprising powers to his customers. After putting on a pair of asbestos gloves, which looked much like ordinary work gloves, he took red-hot coals from the fireplace and played with them in his hands. How astonished the customers were to discover that he was not burned at all. You can well imagine that he had increasing business in asbestos roofing materials. However, because it was very expensive to transport (carry) them from Italy to the United States, Mr. Johns sent out a young scientist to seek a source nearer home. This young man found great vein(巖脈), in the province of Quebec in Canada.

Ever since 1881 Quebec has led the world in the production of this unusual mineral, which is made up of magnesium, silicon, iron, and oxygen. When it is mined, the asbestos is heavy, just as you would expect a mineral to be. When it is separated, a strange thing happens; the rock breaks down into fine, soft, soapy fibres(纖維).

Scientists do not know why the rock can be separated easily into threads(線), but they have found thousands of uses of this fireproof material, of the so-called “cloth of stone”.

Which title best expresses the main idea of this passage?

A. Asbestos mined in Canada        B. Fireproof matter

C. A “wonder” mineral                 D. A new roofing material

Johns proved his ability as a salesman by_______.

A. going into roofing business      B. carrying asbestos from Italy

C. sending a trained scientist         D. showing the use of asbestos gloves

Which is the most important character of asbestos that the author wants to show us?

A. It is like thread.               B. It feels soapy.

C. It burns easily.                 D. It is unusually heavy.

The author’s main purpose in writing this passage was to _______.

A. show the need for more scientists

B. compare asbestos with other minerals

C. increase the sales of asbestos

D. present facts about asbestos