Try It a Different Way

Bobby Moresco grew up in New York's Hell's Kitchen, a tough working－class neighborhood on Manhattan's West Side. By tradition he __1__ have been, like his father or like most of his childhood pals, a construction worker or a policeman. But he wanted __2__. Attracted by the bright lights from the time Bobby was a teen, he tried to act. “I wasn't a __3__ actor,  but I had a driving need to do something __4__ with my life，” he says.

He moved to Hollywood, promising to find his __5__. But he didn't make __6__. For almost 10 years, he drove a taxi and worked as a waiter, __7__ at an actors' workshop that he opened in Hollywood. But Moresco kept working at his __8__ career.

In 1983 his younger brother was murdered in a mob－linked killing. Moresco moved back to his __9__ neighborhood. In 1988 he finally wrote a play that was __10__ to his life. Called Half－Deserted Streets, it was based on his brother's __11__ and staged at a small theater. A Hollywood producer __12__ to see it and asked him to work on a screenplay.

His __13__ grew, and he got enough assignments to move back to Hollywood. However, it was never easy. By 2003, he was __14__ out of work and out of cash __15__ he got a call from Paul Haggis, a director who had befriended him. The two worked on the script but every studio __16__  it down. Moresco believed so __17__ in the script that he borrowed money, and sold his house. At last the writers found an independent film producer who would take a chance.

The movie, Crash, __18__ into the theaters in May 2005, and quietly became both a hit and a critical success. It won three Academy Awards—Best Picture, Best Film Editing and Best Writing.

At the age of 54, Bobby Moresco became an __19__ success. “If you have something you want to do in life, don't think about the problems，” he says, “think about the __20__ to get it done. ”

1. A. must            B. should               C. can          D. need

2. A. over             B. far                    C. out                 D. up

3. A. simple       B. strict          C. firm      D. good

4. A. different     B. impressive      C. effective   D. special

5. A. occasion     B. treasure        C. fortune    D. possibility

6. A. it           B. one           C. this       D. that

7. A. communicating          B. entertaining

C. practicing               D. volunteering

8. A. afforded     B. chosen        C. respected   D. offered

9. A. early        B. worn          C. old       D. passed

10. A. turned     B. pointed         C. belonged  D. related

11. A. arresting    B. injuring        C. killing    D. shooting

12. A. advised    B. happened       C. intended  D. planned

13. A. influence  B. ambition         C. success  D. reputation

14. A. again     B. even           C. finally     D. still

15. A. before    B. when          C. since       D. while

16. A. let       B. looked         C. took       D. turned

17. A. strongly   B. hardly         C. deeply      D. bravely

18. A. moved    B. slipped        C. fell        D. put

19. A. effortless        B. enjoyable

C. overnight        D. optimistic

20. A. ways      B. lines    C. manners        D. actions

Every Sunday morning, as most people line up outside neighborhood breakfast spots, watch TV news shows, or head for church, Chloris Noelke－Olson is tuning up her fiddle. She's preparing to enjoy bluegrass music the old－fashioned way: with friends, at home, for free.

“To be able to play with other people face to face and have that sort of connection, it's spiritual，” Ms. Noelke－Olson said of the weekly house concerts in Chicago she participates in. “It's like a good conversation with instruments—something that doesn't seem to happen much anymore because everyone is blabbering(饶舌) on their cell phones.”

She is among a growing group of Americans who are finding it pleasant to unplug from the digital grid, at least temporarily. While there is no exact data to track how many people are forming knitting groups, hosting house concerts, or organizing family game nights, it is possible to connect the dots between the rising price of entertainment and the rising sales of board games (棋类游戏) and craft supplies.

Between 2007 and 2008, the prices for restaurant meals, concert tickets, and movie tickets all increased. At the same time, board games sales rose 6 percent, while total toy sales decreased 3 percent.

These trends are expected to continue because of the struggling economy. Instead of outfitting their homes with expensive home entertainment systems, consumers are more likely to be interfacing the old－fashioned way: eye－to－eye. Families are rediscovering ways to come together that have nothing to do with high tech.

“People are turning inward to build in enjoyment time for family and home”， said Linda Bettencourt, an interior designer in San Francisco whose clients typically live in million－dollar homes. Over the past six months, Ms. Bettencourt has been hired to redesign living spaces to foster the kind of connectivity that doesn't involve wires. “The big game table is back，” she says. “People want to sit around and see each other's faces rather than facing a flat－screen TV.”

1. Why is Chloris Noelke－Olson enjoying bluegrass music the old－fashioned way?

A. Because she likes playing musical instruments.

B. Because she wants to provide free music for her friends.

C. Because she doesn't like talking on the cell phone.

D. Because she likes to form a close connectivity with people.

2. Ms. Bettencourt has been hired to ________.

A. connect the rich people with others

B. redesign living space for the rich people

C. give some advice to people on connectivity

D. help people to save money

3. We can infer from the last paragraph that ________.

A. home designing has become a big business

B. rich people usually pay more attention to their living space

C. even rich people are changing their ways of entertainment

D. rich people spend more on home entertainment

4. This passage is about ________.

A. a new trend in people's entertainment in America

B. the present economic situation in America

C. the modern family life in America

D. the change of people's interest in America

5. If this passage is posted on the web, it most probably appears in the section of ________.

A. people  B. travel

C. environment  D. lifestyle

December 21, 2012 marks the completion of the 5,125 year Great Cycle of the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar.

Rather than being an end－point, this cycle that is closing is naturally I followed by the start of a new cycle. What this new cycle has in store for humanity is a mystery that has yet to unfold...

The recent 2012 movie serves to alert a targeted 140 million people, in case they too haven't already heard the news. Unfortunately, however, the movie does a disservice because it distorts the message of this ancient prophecy (预言) by associating it with fear and destruction, as described by the movie's global disaster scenario (场景), rather than the themes of transformation and renewal the prophecy is actually based on.

In other words, the global scenario of the 2012 movie is not based on any facts. As Emmerich clarifies，“We only used the fact that the Mayan calendar ends. That gave us the year.” Emmerich said after checking out the range of 2012 books on Amazon, he realized, “...there are so many (theories) that, in a way, you can just create your own.” He shares that “2012” was tacked on as a title to his disaster movie because it is something “people believe” and it made the movie seem more “real.”

Interestingly, Emmerich's underlying motivation for the movie seems to be genuine concern about the course we are all on as modern society. As he states, “I hope we are not ruining our planet. I really believe that, if we keep going and doing what we are doing, we will not be leaving the planet how it should be, for our kids. That has been going on for generations. It just very sad to see and read the news, every day, and see what these people are fighting over. It's like they don't  understand that the clock is ticking.”

6. According to the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar, December 21,2012 is the day on which ________.

A. the world will end with many disasters

B. the old age will end and a new one will begin

C. there will be a world flood

D. the world can survive many disasters

7. Which of the following is TRUE about the movie 2012?

A. It is intended to explore what is in store in the new cycle.

B. It tells us about the Ancient Maya Long Count Calendar as it is.

C. It is just based on the director's ideas.

D. It describes the ancient prophecy vividly.

8. What Emmerich says suggests that ________.

A. he is quite concerned about the present situation on the earth

B. he is regretful that people have misunderstood his movie

C. he himself believes what is described in the movie

D. he just wants to attract viewers by the disaster scenario

9. By this passage, the author intends to ________.

A. tell us about what the movie 2012 is all about

B. help the director to promote his film

C. tell us what we should learn from the movie 2012

D. explain whether we can trust the ancient prophecy

10. The underlined word “distort” in the third paragraph probably means ________.

A. change something in a wrong way

B. convey the original meaning

C. describe something clearly

D. give more proof to something

下面短文中有10处语言错误。请在有错误的地方增加、删除或修改某个单词。

增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(∧)，并在其下面写上该加的词。

删除：把多余的词用斜线(\)划掉。

修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写上修改后的词。

注意：每处错误及其修改均仅限一词。

　　When I walked into the classroom, the teacher was handing in the exam papers. I was feeling very nervously. I had not studied at all at the weekend as I had thought it would be easy test. I went through the test for many times but I could only answer three out from the twenty questions. I did not want to fail the exam. Then, I put my book under my desk, opening it and started looking for the answer. The teacher wasn't looking at me, but I copied something. Suddenly, I felt a hand on my shoulder! The teacher caught me cheating. I don't know what to say. Luckily, the teacher did not punish for cheating but instead gave me a second chance.

When I was 16 years old, a boy gave me an important gift. __1__

It was the early autumn of my first year at a junior high school, and my old school was far away. __2__ I was very lonely, and afraid to make friends with anyone.

Every time I heard the other students talking and laughing, I felt my heart broken. I couldn't talk with anyone about my problems. And I didn't want my parents to worry about me.

Then one day, my classmates talked happily with their friends, but I sat at my desk unhappily as usual. __3__ I didn't know who he was. He passed me and then turned back. He looked at me, with a smile on his face.

Suddenly, I felt the touch of something bright and friendly. It made me feel happy, lively and warm.

__4__ I started to talk with other students and made friends. Day by day, I became closer to everyone in my class. The boy with the lucky smile has become my best friend now!

__5__ I believe that the world is what you think it is. If you think it lonely, you might always be alone. So smile at the world and it will smile back.

A. At that moment, a boy entered the classroom.

B. He's living in Australia now and he loves it.

C. It doesn't matter because all the dark days have gone.

D. It was a smile.

E. That smile changed my life.

F. It's practically impossible to make friends here.

G. As a result, no one knew who I was.

1. ________　2. ________　3. ________　4. ________

5. ________