2016-04

Red Nose Day

Red Nose Day(RND) is a well-known event in the UK. The aim of the day is to raise money for Comic Relief. This is a charity that helps people in need in Africa and in the UK.

Comic Relief was started in 1985 by Richard Curtis. He wrote the famous films Four Weddings and a Funeral and Notting Hill. Richard started Comic Relief in response to the severe famine in Ethiopia. It's called RND as on this day many people buy a plastic red nose to wear! The money made from selling red noses goes to the charity.

RND takes place every two years in the spring. It is now so well-established that many people consider it to be an unofficial national holiday.

The slogan for the last RND was "Do Something Funny for Money". The money that was collected was used to help fund projects in such areas as education and mental health. Money-raising events take place on this day all over the country and many schools participate. People also donate money by post, in banks, by phone using a credit card and online.

In the evening of RND a telethon takes place on the BBC TV channels. This is like a television marathon ( 马拉松) that shows some of the events of the day and reports how the money raised will be spent. People also upload videos of local charity events onto the Internet.

So, if you are ever in the UK on RND, you will know why you find normal people wearing red noses and doing silly things! It' s all for a good cause!

1. Red Nose Day is a famous event in Britain.

2. Comic Relief aims to help people all over the world.

3. Richard Curtis is a well-known actor and film director.

4. Many people wear a red nose on Red Nose Day.

5. Red Nose Day takes place every year.

6. Red Nose Day has become an official national holiday.

7. The funnier people look, the more money they collect.

8. People give money to Comic Relief in many ways.

9. Many schools take part in money-raising events on Red Nose Day.

10. The Red Nose Day telethon has attracted lots of film stars.

Those Who Ride on Two Wheels

In the United States there are six million tennis players and twelve million golfers. These figures would not surprise most people. But many would be surprised to learn that twenty million Americans ride motorcycles (摩托车). Few people realize that motorcycling is fast becoming one of America' s most popular sports.

According to the Cycle News many kinds of people enjoy motorcycling. They include black people and white people, businessmen, professionals, and blue-collar workers. Among them, about 55% are businessmen, 3% are in the professions and 9% in government service.

Such information is offered by the Cycle News in the hope of improving the general public' s impression of the sport. The public has tended to believe that all motorcyclists are wild and lawless young men.

There are several things about motorcycling that the average citizen dislikes. A motorcyclist's appearance has something to do with this dislike. Motorcyclists often look dirty; in fact, they are dirty. On the road, there is little to protect them from mud. For practical reasons, they often dress in old clothing which looks much less respectable than the clothing of people who ride in cars. For the same reason, motorcyclists usually wear dark colors. Perhaps this helps to explain why they are sometimes suspected of having bad natures.

Probably motorcycles themselves also produce anger and fear. They are noisy, though some trucks are even noisier. But trucks are acceptable because they perform a needed service.

Motorcycles, on the other hand, make an uncomfortable noise just to give their riders pleasure. Roaring along quiet streets, they wake sleeping families and make babies cry.

Yet, as motorcycling becomes more and more common, it will be interesting to see how people in general feel about the sport. Perhaps it will someday become as "respectable" as tennis or golf.

1. According to the text, more and more Americans like

A. playing tennis

B. playing golf

C. motorcycling

D. car-racing

12. According to the Cycle News over half of the motorcyclists are

A. black people

B. white people

C. businessmen

D. professionals

13. The Cycle News wants to

A. make motorcyclists lawful citizens

B. improve the image of motorcycling

C. persuade people to buy motorcycles

D. raise the status of blue-collar workers

14. Motorcyclists usually wear dark colors because

A. they want to be respectable

B. they want to be impressive

C. the colors look different

D. the colors suit their sport

15. Some people dislike the motorcycle because it is

A. noisy

B. heavy

C. costly

D. illegal

How to Forgive, Forget and Let Go

①Forgiving someone does not mean releasing them from an earlier guilt. What if the person who wronged you is not living? What if the person is someone who made you extremely embarrassed during school 20 or 30 years ago? Letting go of emotional pain does not mean that nothing happened; it means that you no longer want to be controlled by it.

②Recognize that forgiveness is not denial. Whatever caused the pain was a real incident. Denying that it happened means it is too painful to work through the emotions. There is no timeline on forgiveness. Some steps take longer to get through, and it is acceptable to set them aside for a period of time. Part of forgiveness is understanding whether or not someone takes responsibility for what happened, and may even show regret.

③Understand that not everyone who forgives reconciles with the person who caused the pain. There are relationships that are harmful and even physically dangerous. While it is possible to forgive the past and move beyond it,it may also mean that the person who was involved can no longer play an active role in your life. If a person or situation is not safe, it may be best not to reconcile the relationship now. Work on forgiveness at the time when you are emotionally healthy and physically safe.

④Make a conscious decision to forgive someone. Even if they never apologize for what happened, determine within yourself that it is fine to proceed without this apology. Apologies should not be asking for forgiveness. Apologies should be offered as an effort of true regret. They should be admitting that taking personal responsibility for the situation is important. Even without that apology, make up your mind to forgive, forget, and eventually let go.

Task 1

A Forgiving should be at safe time.

B Forgiving is not to deny what happened.

C Forgiving is not to free someone from blame.

D Forgiving can happen without an apology.

E Forgiving can lead us away from the past hurt.

Task 2

20. You may forgive someone

21. There is no fixed time

22. Even if you've forgiven someone

23. Don't rush to forgive those

24. Some people apologize merely

25. If you expect an apology,

A you may not become friends

B to offer forgiveness

C who are still dangerous to you

D who wronged you long time ago

E you may never get rid of emotional pain

F who only forgive those showing regret

G for being forgiven

Natural Resources

Throughout history, people have often selected where they want to live based on the natural resources that are available in the area.（26） Some of these resources include water, food sources such as fruits and vegetables, and animals that can be caught or hunted.

A region's natural resources determine the way of life of its people.（27） On the other hand, poor soil will either send people looking for better places, or attract people with other purposes for the land, such as setting up businesses or factories.

（28） People who wish to make a living as fishermen can do so by the ocean, but cannot do so in the desert. Desert people have many traditional and unique foods, which cannot be found in the forest. Each area attracts people based on their interests and purposes.

Areas that have rich water resources will naturally have more people. Traditionally, villages, towns and cities built near water have been the most successful. People there are able to use the water resources to meet their daily needs.（29） Places that are hard to reach, such as high mountains or dry deserts, will have fewer people living in them.

（30） For too long, people have destroyed natural resources, using up those resources that cannot be easily replaced. On the earth, we are lucky to have many resources that are renewable, such as sun, wind, water, and trees. As more and more focus is placed on the use of renewable resources, it will become easier to protect our planet from further harm

A. It is easy to find new resources in nature.

B. Renewable resources are those that can be replaced easily.

C. While you may not think of oceans as natural resources, they are.

D. For example, regions with rich soil can support farming societies.

E. They can also use the water to help them move goods to other areas.

F. Natural resources are useful to people, and they come from the earth.

Business English Helps

English play an important role in the workplace. When it is used in the correct and proper（31）, it can help to promote a career or a business. Some may（32） or want to study business English（33） they start their careers. Those who are already working have the（34） to see what they can and cannot do（35） in English in their current job.

Business English provides you with valuable skills needed for your work. For example, you will learn（36） to negotiate. Being able to deal with a（37） and knowing how to bargain and（38） an agreement can make a（39） difference to the outcome.

Business English learning encourages professional and efficient communication, and promotes service to customers and business partners,（40） is a great advantage for any business.

A. big B. need C. what D. before E. reach F. which G. conflict H. effectively I. way J. how K. small L. opportunity

Silent Listening

If something bad just happened (happen) to your friend, what would you do? Would you mention it to him and say you feel sorry about it? Would you offer support or advice? According to Ruth Clark, such（41）(treat) could mean well, but it might not be what he（42） (real) wants or needs.

Clark asked some college students to imagine some（43） (pleasant) situations, e.g. , a low exam grade or the dad"s（44） (lose) of his job. The student were then（45） (ask) how they would like to be treated by a friend who learned of the bad situation from someone else. The results were a little（46） (surprise). Some said they would want and expect their friend to mention the （47） (annoy) situation, but most of the students in the study（48） (respond) that they would like the friend not to do it. The students made the（49） (decide) for themselves whether to discuss their problem with a friend. So, there is value in being a silent（50） (listen) around a troubled friend.

某英文报社正在举行题为"Fight against Haze(雾霾)"的征文活动

请你就此题目写一篇英文短文应征, 内容包括:

• 雾霾会造成哪些危害。
• 我们可以采取哪些对措施。

answers

一 ABCAB BCAAC

二 CCBDA

五 IBDLH JGEAF

41. treatment (treat)
42. really (real)
43. unpleasant (pleasant)
44. loss (lose)
45. asked (ask)
46. surprising (surprise)
47. annoying (annoy)
48. responded (respond)
49. decision (decide)
50. listener (listen)