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Last year, around Labor Day, I read a “Happy Ad” in our local newspaper． There was a lady in a local nursing home, who was celebrating her 90th birthday and her family wanted everyone to know about it． It said that if you wanted to drop her a line, here was her address． So I did． I found a birthday card and dropped her a short note, wishing her a happy birthday．
A week or so later, someone knocked at my front door． I opened the door and found a middle-aged man standing on my doorstep． He introduced himself as the son of this woman to whom I had sent the card． He explained that he just wanted to drop by in person and thank me for sending such a nice card to his mom． Apparently, like many older folks, she did not receive much mail and was quite excited to receive mine． I just didn’t know what to say． I told him it was my pleasure and that I hoped his mom had enjoyed her birthday．
That year, I did not send out any Christmas cards, except to this lovely old lady in the nursing home． I just told her that I was thinking about her and hoped that she had a nice holiday． I sent her a Valentine and also a couple of notes in between． I just thought she might like to have someone write to her, to get some mail．
She passed away a couple of months ago． I never met this lady, but I did keep her and her family in my thoughts． I dropped them a line of sympathy． I hope that my few little notes were enough to brighten a couple of her days here on earth．
1.The old lady’s address was given because ____________．
A． her family wanted to make her well-known
B． the old lady wanted to receive a birthday card
C． the son of the old lady wanted to meet the author
D． her family wanted to give her a happy birthday
2.Which of the following best describes the author?
A． Brave． B． Polite． C． Caring． D． Faithful．
3.Which of the following is the best title for the passage?
A． A Kind Act B． An Old Lady C． A Happy Ad D． A Considerate Son
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Despite being tall, Michelle Obama is much smaller than she appears on television． And she seemed a little short by her surroundings in the great hall of Christchurch College as she spoke quietly without a microphone because of a technical mistake． Her audience were 40 young girls from a London state school where 50 languages are spoken．
“I remember how well-meaning but misguided people questioned whether someone with my background could succeed at an elite （精英） university,” she said． “When I was accepted, I had all kinds of worries and doubts． I wouldn’t be as well prepared as students from privileged families and I wouldn’t fit in． But you are just as capable and have just as much to offer as anyone else．”
This was Mrs． Obama’s only solo outing during the state visit and part two of an unusual relationship which she has struck up with Anderson College in Islington． Two years ago on her first visit to the UK she visited the school．
Yesterday she returned to meet the pupils but this time at Christchurch College where they were taking part in an open day run to improve Oxford’s still poor record on diversifying student intake．
Mrs． Obama was asked why she married her husband, what it was like being First Lady and when there would be a female President in the White House． Her message—which she repeated time and again—was work hard, have self-belief, and don’t be afraid to fail． It was very un-British, but rather effective． Afterwards there were hugs for everyone and a photo with her．
And watching the group of multicultural young Britons surround her among the splendor of the college building one thought stood out． Had Mrs． Obama been born in Britain, she would almost certainly not have made it to Oxford as she did to Harvard． But now—thanks in part to her—some of these children just might．
1.According to the passage, Michelle Obama ____________．
A． graduated from Anderson College
B． paid her first visit to the UK this time
C． was confident when she entered the college
D． came from a family without good background
2.It is implied in the passage that these 40 young girls ____________．
A． were all from the United States
B． were students of Oxford University
C． came from different cultural backgrounds
D． stayed with Mrs． Obama because of hard work
3.Michelle Obama thinks success may come from the following EXCEPT ____________．
A． working hard B． believing in yourself
C． good opportunities D． facing failure without fear
4.What can we learn from the underlined sentence?
A． The British pupils couldn’t understand her message．
B． Her message reached the British pupils successfully．
C． Repetition is not the British way to give a message．
D． All effective messages are not conveyed in British．
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Book now to see Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss star in The Children’s Hour at the Comedy Theatre in London．
Dates: 22 January 2011 to 31 January 2011
Times: 22 Jan 2011 6:30 PM; 24—29 Jan 2011 7:30 PM; 29 Jan 2011 2:30 PM; 31 Jan 2011 7:30 PM．
Place: Comedy Theatre
The Children’s Hour
The Children’s Hour by Lillian Hellman is a striking play about the power of a lie． Karen Wright （Keira Knightley） and Martha Dobie （Elisabeth Moss） run a girls’ boarding school in the 1930s New England． When an angry student starts a rumour that the two headmistresses are having a lesbian （女同性恋者） affair, it gradually destroys the women’s careers, relationships and lives． The Children’s Hour is an upsetting story of cheat, shame and courage．
Banned in London and several cities across America, The Children’s Hour received its world opening on Broadway in 1934． Generations on, its exploration of a culture of fear remains remarkably relevant．
Keira Knightley and Elisabeth Moss Star
Keira Knightley, nominee （被提名者） for Best Actress 2010 Evening Standard Awards for The Misanthrope, returns to the London stage． Knightley starred in Love Actually, The Pirates of the Caribbean Trilogy, Pride and Prejudice．
Elisabeth Moss, best-known for playing Peggy Olson in Mad Men, made her Broadway stage debut （首映） in David Mamet’s Speed the Plow in 2008． The Children’s Hour will be her West End debut．
Book The Children’s Hour Tickets
Book theatre tickets to see The Children’s Hour at London’s Comedy Theatre today． With two big stars in the leading roles, The Children’s Hour tickets are sure to sell fast． Book yours online now with Visit London’s secure ticket booking partner on this wetsite． Just click the green book button to buy your The Children’s Hour tickets．
1.If you visit London in January, at which time can you see the play?
A． 21 Jan 2011 6:30 PM． B． 23 Jan 2011 2:30 PM．
C． 26 Jan 2011 2:30 PM． D． 31 Jan 2011 7:30 PM．
2.We can learn from the passage that The Children’s Hour____________．
A． used to be forbidden B． is about the power of love
C． was set in England in the 1930s D． is not popular these days
3.Which of the following is TRUE according to this passage?
A． Keira Knightley was awarded Best Actress 2010 Evening Standard Awards．
B． Elisabeth Moss ever performed on the Broadway stage．
C． Without the two big stars, people would not buy the play’s tickets．
D． You can only buy a ticket with Visit London’s secure ticket booking partner．
4.Where shall we probably read this passage?
A． In a movie magazine． B． In the newspaper．
C． On the website． D． In an academic journal．
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Some American parents might think their children need better education to compete with China and other countries’ children． But how much do the parents themselves need to change?
A new book Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother written by Amy Chua has caused a debate about cultural differences in parenting． Ms． Chua is a professor at the Yale Law School in New Haven, Connecticut, and a mother of two daughters． She was raised in America by immigrant Chinese parents． In her book, Ms． Chua wrote about how she demanded excellence from her daughters． For example, she threatened to burn her daughter’s dolls unless she played a piece of music perfectly． She would scold her daughters if they failed to meet her expectations．
Ms． Chua had a clear list of what her daughters, Sophia and Louisa, were not permitted to do: “Attend a sleepover, have a play date, watch TV or play computer games, be in a school play, get any grade less than an A．” Many people criticize Amy Chua, saying her parenting methods were cruel and violent． She even admits that her husband, who is not Chinese, sometimes objected to her parenting style． But she says that is the way her parents raised her and her three sisters．
Ms． Chua says she eased some of the pressure after her younger daughter rebelled and shouted “I hate my life! I hate you!” But she also says American parents often have low expectations of their children’s abilities． Amy Chua thinks one of the biggest differences between Western and Chinese parents is that Chinese parents take on strength rather than fragility．”
Stacy DeBroff, who has written four books on parenting, says: “Parents should rethink, what does it mean to be a successful parent and what does it mean to be a successful child?” She says Amy Chua’s parenting style is not limited to Chinese families． It represents a traditional way of parenting among immigrants seeking a better future for their children． But she also sees a risk． When children have no time to be social or to follow their own interests, they might not develop other skills that they need to succeed in life． Stacey DeBroff advises parents to develop their own style of parenting and not just repeat the way they were raised．
1.Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother is mainly about ___________．
A． how to teach children to learn music
B． how to change the ways of parenting
C． Amy Chun’s experience in parenting
D． Amy Chun’s reflection of her family life
2.The underlined word “rebelled” in Paragraph 4 probably means “____________”．
A． disobeyed B． succeeded C． failed D． panicked
3.According to Ms． Chua, Chinese way of parenting is powerful because ____________．
A． parents set good examples to children
B． parents understand their children better
C． parents usually treat their children as friends
D． parents have high expectations of their children
4.What is Stacy DeBroff’s warning to immigrant parents?
A． Don’t expect too much from their children．
B． Don’t allow them to communicate with others．
C． Don’t give them freedom to do what they want to．
D． Don’t bring up their children as their parents did．
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