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The year 2019 saw the end of the hit sitcom The Big Bang Theory. Now, another popular comedy, Modern Family, follows in their footsteps. After 11 seasons the final episode aired on April 8, bringing an end to a sitcom “widely recognized as one of the funniest and most decorated sitcoms of this century”, according to EOnline.
Hitting our screens in 2009, the show claimed 22 Emmys in total, an American award that recognizes excellence in television. At its peak the show attracted over 9 million viewers for its relatable family dynamic, loveable characters and mockumentary (伪纪录片) style. In this format, characters can convey their own thoughts and feelings directly to the audience via a short sit-down interview.
Over the course of the series, fans have witnessed the Pritchett-Dunphy-Tucker clan (家族), an extended Los Angeles family, overcome the trials and tribulations of any modern family, including death, adoption and mental health.
The big family’s highs and lows have made it so relatable that we see them as part of our own family and care about their stories. From fights between siblings (兄弟姐妹) to parental disagreement about children’s education, the show, despite being a comedy, deals with serious modern issues that are familiar to the audience.
Despite its success, showrunners admitted that the sitcom had been running on fumes (后劲不足的) during the last few seasons. The final episode went as expected, with the growing branches of each family going their separate ways following one giant on-screen embrace involving every cast member.
As the camera cut to each departing family member, Jay Pritchett, the patriarch (大家长) of the family, expressed an important theme of the show. “Life is full of change. I learned a long time ago you can fight it, or you can try to make the best of it. And that’s a whole lot easier if you’ve got people helping you face whatever life throws at you,” he said emotionally.
Just as the final episode concluded, fans were treated to one last heartfelt moment. As each family switched off their porch (门廊) light, Claire asks Phil (a couple in the show) what they’ll do now that their kids have grown up and moved on. Phil said, “Leave the porch light on – they come back,” a subtle (巧妙的) hint that the show might someday return.
1.How can we define Modern Family?
A.A mockumentary series about an extended family’s history.
B.Sit-down interviews about people’s emotional problems.
C.A comedy encouraging people to adapt to changes.
D.A sitcom about funny family stories and social issues.
2.Why has Modern Family appealed to the audience so much?
A.It applies a variety of shooting formats.
B.It won the most Emmy Awards.
C.Its characters, plot and style are quite relatable.
D.It teaches them how to deal with challenges in life.
3.What does the underlined phrase “trials and tribulations” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?
A.fears B.problems
C.changes D.boundaries
4.What does Modern Family convey to us, according to Jay Pritchett?
A.Parenting and education are important.
B.Fighting is the best way to handle changes.
C.Life will be easier if you are able to get help.
D.Changes in life shape a harmonious family.
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The universe began with the Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago, with everything___ in space smaller than a grain of sand.
A. started B. starting C. to start D. to be started
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It’s not the first movie to show the end of the world. But in the latest box office hit 2012 it is neither aliens nor a killer disease that threaten the human race, but climate change.
Some say the film lacks good dialogue and its science is questionable， others believe German director Roland Emmerich makes up for these flaws in special effects. An earthquake destroys the White House and Yellow stone National Park ends up in flames．
Emmerich borrows from the old Mayan(玛雅人的) story which says, that the world will end in 2012．He is being criticized for fuelling Internet rumors(传闻) about doomsday(世界末日)
“There is no factual basis for these claims,’’ NASA said on its website. “Credible(可信赖的) scientists worldwide know of no threat connected with 2012,’’ it insisted. “After all, our planet has been getting along just fine for more than 4 billion years, ” they added．
According to the UK’s Daily Telegraph, it was first thought that the disaster would happen in May 2003. When the world continued, supporters picked the last day of the Mayan calendar．
“Every culture has a myth(传说) of destruction(毁灭), just as they have a myth of creation. These myths |of destruction tend to surface(重新出现) during times of crisis(危机), ” Michael A. Ryan, an assistant profess of history，speaking to Purdue University News. Ryan studies apocalyptic(像世界末日的) themes from the Middle Ages at the US university. “Today’s current economic climate is a state of crisis for many people who are worried whether they can afford to feed themselves,”he added.
1.What led to the end of the world according to the film 2012?
A. Aliens． B. The human race． C．Climate change． D．A killer disease．
2.What does the underlined word “fuelling’’ in the third paragraph refer to?
A. Making sth. stronger．． B. Putting gas into a car．
C. Producing power or heat． D．Burning
3.Which of the following statements about the film 2012 is TRUE according to the text?
A．A big fire destroys Yellow-stone National Park．
B．All scientists in the world know of no threat connected with 2012．
C. The old Mayan story says that the world will end in
D．Every culture has a myth of destruction rather than creation
4.Why do the rumors about doomsday come about now and then?
A．Because during times of crisis, people tend to worry about their future．
B．Because aliens often threaten the human race．
C．Because killer diseases happen at times．
D. Because the old Mayan story says that the world will
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The sight of the big snake made my hair_______.
| A．stand in the end | B．standing at the end | C．stand on end | D．standing on the end |
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Inspiring young minds!
TOKNOW Magazine is a big hit in the world of children’s publishing, bringing a unique combination of challenging ideas and good fun to young fans every month.
| What is so special about TOKNOW magazine? Well, it has no ads or promotions inside—instead it is jam-packed with serious ideas.TOKNOW makes complex ideas attractive and accessible to children, who can become involved in advanced concepts and even philosophy(哲学)—and they will soon discover that TOKNOW feels more like a club than just a magazine. | What’s inside? Every month the magazine introduces a fresh new topic with articles, experiments and creative things to make — the magazine also explores philosophy and wellbeing to make sure young readers have a balanced take on life. |
Sounds too good to be true?
Take a look online—evidence shows that thousands of teachers and parents know a good thing when they see it and recommend TOKNOW to their friends.
Happy Birthday All Year!
What could be more fun than a gift that keeps coming through the letterbox every month? The first magazine with your gift message will arrive in time for the special day.
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Annual Subscription: Europe £55; Rest of World £65.
Annual Subscription with Gift Pack: Includes a Mammoth Map, a Passport Puzzle Booklet, and Subscription. Europe £60; Rest of World £70.
Refund Policy—the subscription can be cancelled within 28 days and you can get your money back.
1.Why is TOKNOW a special magazine?
A. It entertains young parents.
B. It provides serious advertisements.
C. It publishes popular science fictions.
D. It combines fun with complex concepts
2.What does TOKNOW offer its readers?
A. Online courses.
B. Articles on new topics.
C. Lectures on a balanced life.
D. Reports on scientific discoveries.
3.How much should you pay if you make a 12-mouth subscription to TOKNOW with gift pack from China?
A. ￡55.
B. ￡60.
C. ￡65.
D. ￡70.
4.Subscribers of TOKNOW would get ________________________________________________________________________________________________.
A. free birthday presents
B. full refund within 28 days
C. membership of the TOKNOW club
D. chances to meet the experts in person
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Inspiring young minds!
TOKNOW Magazine is a big hit in the world of children's publishing， bringing a unique combination of challenging ideas and good fun to young fans every month．
| What is so special about TOKNOW magazine？ Well， it has no ads or promotions inside- instead it is jam-packed with serious ideas． TOKNOW makes complex ideas attractive and accessible to children， who can become involved in advanced concepts and even philosophy（哲学）-and they will soon discover that TOKNOW feels more like a club than just a magazine． | What's inside？ Every month the magazine introduces a fresh new topic with articles， experiments and creative things to make - the magazine also explores philosophy and wellbeing to make sure young readers have a balanced take on life． |
Sounds too good to be true？
Take a look online-evidence shows that thousands of teachers and parents know a good thing when they see it and recommend TOKNOW to their friends．
Happy Birthday All Year!
What could be more fun than a gift that keeps coming through the letterbox every month？ The first magazine with your gift message will arrive in time for the special day．
SUBSCRIBE NOW
Annual Subscription
Europe £55 Rest of World £65
Annual Subscription with Gift Pack
Includes a Mammoth Map， a Passport Puzzle Booklet， and Subscription
Europe £60 Rest of World £70
Refund Policy-the subscription can be cancelled within 28days and you can get your money back．
1.Why is TOKNOW a special magazine？ ______
A. It entertains young parents．
B. It provides serious advertisements．
C. It publishes popular science fictions．
D. It combines fun with complex concepts．
2.What does TOKNOW offer its readers？ ______
A. Online courses． B. Articles on new topics．
C. Lectures on a balanced life． D. Reports on scientific discoveries．
3.How much should you pay if you make a 12-month subscription to TOKNOW with gift pack from China？ ______
A. £55． B. £60．
C. £65． D. £70．
4.Subscribers of TOKNOW would get ______ ．
A. free birthday presents
B. full refund within 28 days
C. membership of the TOKNOW club
D. chances to meet the experts in person
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---- “Lady GaGa” is a real legend!
---- Absolutely. She is a big hit in the sales of her albums. In addition, _______ of the singers around the world can match her in unique taste in haircuts and clothes.
A. nothing B. none C. nobody D. no one
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The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards， candy canes and of course， end of year reports．
While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance， they do not expect their own input to be evaluated． But a school in the UK is changing that． As well as assessing their students， they are dishing out grades to mums and dads． Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A， and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D．
The school， Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire， uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade． The school's principal， Donna Chambers， said that the scheme had been well received．
"There were some critics． In spite of it， between 15 percent and 20 percent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent，" she explained．
Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement． "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one． That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life"， she said．
But while the scheme may be well intentioned， it is likely to be connected with parent shaming． There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments， looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives．
And of course， being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school． There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered． And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute？ Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!
1.What do schools usually do at the end of the school year？ ______
A.Evaluating kids' performances．
B.Making Christmas cards．
C.Dividing candies．
D.Grading parents．
2.What does the school's principal Chambers say about the scheme？ ______
A.It uses a new way to evaluate kids．
B.It has gained much acceptance．
C.It gives parents further education．
D.It improves kids' motivation for learning．
3.What does the author think of parents being involved in kids' education？ ______
A.It adds to parents' burden．
B.It brings shame to parents．
C.It means far more than being graded．
D.It increases parents' commitment to education．
4.What is the passage mainly about？ ______
A.There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life．
B.Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report．
C.Parents should be involved in children's school life．
D.Whether a parent is excellent depends on the grade he gets．
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The end of the school year is in sight - Christmas cards， candy canes and of course， end of year reports．
While most parents welcome an assessment of their kids' performance， they do not expect their own input to be evaluated． But a school in the UK is changing that． As well as assessing their students， they are dishing out grades to mums and dads． Parents that are really involved in their kids' education are rewarded with an A， and parents that haven't done their bit get a disappointing D．
The school， Greasley Beauvale Primary in Nottinghamshire， uses standard such as whether mums and dads have attended school events such as plays and parent teacher evenings to decide on the grade． The school's principal， Donna Chambers， said that the scheme had been well received．
"There were some critics． In spite of it， between 15 percent and 20 percent of parents started out in the lower categories but now that has been reduced to just two per cent，" she explained．
Chambers hopes that the scheme will help motivate parental involvement． "The system is important because you have got to get the parents on board from day one． That one hour initial conversation saying they could improve will make a difference to the rest of that child's academic life"， she said．
But while the scheme may be well intentioned， it is likely to be connected with parent shaming． There are lots of reasons why some mums and dads might not be involved in school activities such as work commitments， looking after younger children or caring for elderly relatives．
And of course， being involved in your kid's education doesn't begin and end at school． There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes from helping with homework to keeping uniforms freshly laundered． And what about all the parents who stayed up sewing special costumes at the last minute？ Surely that earns a gold star instead of a grade!
1.What do schools usually do at the end of the school year？ ______
A. Evaluating kids' performances．
B. Making Christmas cards．
C. Dividing candies．
D. Grading parents．
2.What does the school's principal Chambers say about the scheme？ ______
A. It uses a new way to evaluate kids．
B. It has gained much acceptance．
C. It gives parents further education．
D. It improves kids' motivation for learning．
3.What does the author think of parents being involved in kids' education？ ______
A. It adds to parents' burden．
B. It brings shame to parents．
C. It means far more than being graded．
D. It increases parents' commitment to education．
4.What is the passage mainly about？ ______
A. There is too much stress for parents about their children's academic life．
B. Parents as well as their children are on the list of the year school report．
C. Parents should be involved in children's school life．
D. Whether a parent is excellent depends on the grade he gets．
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I feel happy when I come home at the end of the day and see those big, graphic prints on my wall. They make my tiny New York apartment feel more home and more purposeful; more like me. Why? 1.
You’re probably not trying to spend crazy dollars on art for your home—who is? Maybe you just graduated and know you need to upgrade from that poster of Einstein with his tongue out taped to your dorm wall that was supposed to make you look“smart yet playful”Perhaps you just bought a home! That’s expensive ! 2. Pieces that attract your personality, express your taste, or just make you laugh aren’t restricted to gallery purchases.
Don’t panic if you don’t know where to start
Art. com
When you want affordable but classy art prints, go to Art. com website. 3. Cast a glance their website and you’ll be greeted with a window offering 50％off your first order if you fork over your email address. Do it. You could create art entire gallery wall of Chagall, Monet, Adams and Kahlo for under $30.
Society6
4.It features art that touches all types. It sells prints in a variety of sizes so you can customize a whole gallery wall with picks from their artists. Currently, I become interested in Beth Hoeckel’s collage art and the vintage-looking prints from aapshop.
eBay
Nothing angers me more than“stealing”a piece from one of my favorite shops, only to have it sell out before I can get my hands on it. eBay is my go-to next step. 5. From wall hangings to tabletop sculptures eBay is a treasure of art finds.
A.It is all inexpensive source for prints.
B.You can search by size, color and style.
C.I've obtained quite a few pieces that originally got away.
D.Coming home to beautiful art improves my quality of life.
E.It is another site if you’re unsure what you’re looking for.
F.A can’t-miss home decoration tip is to put“cheap”art in a nice frame.
G.Being on a tight budget does not stop you from surrounding yourself with great art.