Coming Soon to a Theater Near You！

    What are special effects? Do you enjoy movies that use a lot of special effects Dinosaurs from the distant past! Space battles from the distant future!  There has been a revolution in special effects,and it has transformed the movies we see.

    The revolution began in the mid 1970s with George Lucas's Star Wars,a film that stunned(使震惊)audiences. That revolution continues to the present,with dramatic changes in special-effects technology. The company behind these changes is Lucas's Industrial Light& Magic(ILM). And the man behind the company is Dennis Muren,who has worked with Lucas since Star Wars.

    Muren's interest in special effects began very early. At the age of 6,he was photographing toy dinosaurs and spaceships. At 10,he had an 8 millimeter move camera and was making these things move through stop-motion. (Stop-motion is a process in which objects are shot with a camera,moved slightly,shot again,and so on. When the shots are put together,the objects appear to move.)

    Talk to Muren and you'll understand what ILM is all about:taking on new challenges. By 1989,Muren decided he had pushed the old technology as far as it would go.

    He saw computer graphics(图像)(CG) technology as the wave of the future and took a year off to master it.

    With CG technology,images can be scanned into a computer. For processing,for example,and many separate shots can be combined into a single image. CG technology has now reached the point,Muren says,where special effects can be used to do just about anything so that movies can tell stories better than ever before. The huge success of,jurassic Park and its sequel(续集),The Lost World ,the stars of which were computer-generated dinosaurs, suggests that this may very well be true.

The special-effects revolution began in the mid 1980s with Star Wars.

A.Right    

B.Wrong    

C.Not mentioned

Dennis Muren,one good friends of Lucas,worked for ILM.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned

ILM is the company responsible for many of the changes in special effects technology.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

Muren dedicated himself to the improvement of old technology. 

A. Right              

B. Wrong                

C. Not mentioned

Dennis Muren started his schooling at a very early age.

A. Right              

B. Wrong                

C. Not mentioned

At the age of 10,Muren was able to use computer graphics tech nology to make things move. 

A.Right          

B.Wrong           

C.Not mentioned

By the stop-motion process,many separate shots can be combined into a single image.

A. Right

B. Wrong

C. Not mentioned

Muren feels that with CG technology,special effects can be used to make moves more expressive.

A. Right              

B. Wrong                

C. Not mentioned

Today's film makers emphasize special effects at the expense of the story.

A.Right

B.Wrong

C.Not mentioned

Computer generated images have been used in many films. 

A. Right             

B. Wrong                 

C. Not mentioned

Goal of American Education

   Education is an enormous and expensive part of American lfie.Its size is matched by its variety.

    Differences in American schools compared with those found in the majority of other comuntries lie in the fact that education here has long been intended for everyone-not just for a privileged elite. Schools are expected to meet the needs of every child,regardless of ability,and also the needs of society itself. This means that public schools offer more than academic subjects. It surprises many people when they come here to find high schools offering such courses as typing,sewing, radio repair, computer programming or driver training,along with traditional academic subjects such as mathematics,history,and languages. Students choose their curricula depending on their interests,future goals,and level of ability. The underlying goal of American education is to develop every child to the utmost of his or her own possibilities,and to give each one a sense of civic and community consciousness.

Schools have traditionally played an important role in creating national unity and "Americanizing" the millions of immigrants who have poured into this country from many different backgrounds and origins. Schools still play a large role in the community, especially in learning the small towns.

The approach to teaching may seem unfamiliar to many ,not only because it is informal ,but also because there is not much emphasis on learning facts.instead,Americans try to teach their children to think for themselves and to develop their own intellectual and creative abilities. Students spend much time,learning how to use resource materials,libraries,statistics and computers. Americans believe that if children are taught to reason well and to research well,they will be able

to find whatever facts they need throughout the rest of their lives. Knowing how to solve problems is considered more important than the accumulation of facts.

   This is America's answer to the searching question that thoughtful parents all over the world are asking themselves in the fast-moving time:"How can one prepare today's child for a tomorrow that one can neither predict nor understand?"

Which of the following best states the goal of American education?

A. To teach every learner some practical skills.

B. To provide every learner with rich knowledge.          .

C. To give every student the opportunity to fully develop his/her ability. .

D. To train every student to be a responsible citizen.

It is implied in the passage that

A. all high-school students take courses

B. every high-school student must take some practical ability training courses

C. every public school offers the same academic subjects

D. the subjects every student takes may vary

American schools place great emphasis on the learner's

A. enrichment of knowledge

B. accumulation of facts

C. acquisition of the ability to be creative

D. acquisition of the ability to work with his hands

According to the passage,American education meets the all the following EXCEPT

A. the brightest students

B. the slow students 

C. the students from foreign countries

D. the immigrants

Which of the following best states the feature of American education that makes it different from education in other countries? 

A. The large number of its schools.

B. The variety of the courses offered in its shcools.

C. Its special consideration given to immigrants.

D.lts underlying goal to develop every child's abilities to the fullest extent.

McGrady's art is a spectacle  

①When Tracy McGrady.s healthy,his play can be so beautiful that even his own teammates on the court cannot help but admire it in the middle of a game．

②“It's hard for me,because I'm a fan of basketball.”Houston point guard Rafer Alston told the Houston Chronicle newspaper after McGrady's 44 point performance against Utah on January 5.“When he's shooting the ball like that,a lot of times I'm standing there watching and,all of a suden,the other team's getting the ball and going on a fast break, and I'm getting yelled at by the coach." Indeed,McGrady's body control,his energy,his shooting-watching these are like watching an artist at work, blending colours, constructing sentences,or playing music.

③ Unfortunately,McGrady,27,hasn't always been on the job. Already this season,he's missed seven games with back spasms. After Yao Ming was injured on Dec. 23,it appeared Houston would be without both of its stars. McGrady,however,returned three days later and has been playing well ever since,scoring more than 30 points in each of the last six games,as of Tuesday. Houston can't seem to get on without him. When McGrady was injured,the Rockets won two and lost five.

④ "Listen,there are only four or five people on the entire planet that can do the things he can do with the basketball. "forward Shane Battier said of McGrady. "From a fan's perspective-and we're fans even though we're players-it's really fun to watch him do that. From a player's perspective,his game can affect the entire team No question We see him,

and we get excited,and that pumps us up. He keeps making shots,and suddenly it seems to become easier for everybody. "

⑤ But it won't,really. Houston has just begun an important stretch on their schedule. Four of the next seven games will be played away from Houston-and without Yao. Six of the games will be against teams with winning records. Opponents will double-team McGrady in an attempt to dull the impact of his art. Instead of watching, McGrady's teammates will need to create a little art of their own.

Paragraph①

A.necessity for the teammates to improve their own skills

B.evaluation from two different perspectives

C.spectacular performance on the court

D.players houston cant do without

E.McGrady ,an excellent basketball palyer

F.McGrady’s injury

Paragraph②

A.necessity for the teammates to improve their own skills

B.evaluation from two different perspectives

C.spectacular performance on the court

D.players houston cant do without

E.McGrady ,an excellent basketball palyer

F.McGrady’s injury

Paragraph③

A.necessity for the teammates to improve their own skills

B.evaluation from two different perspectives

C.spectacular performance on the court

D.players houston cant do without

E.McGrady ,an excellent basketball palyer

F.McGrady’s injury

Paragraph④

A.necessity for the teammates to improve their own skills

B.evaluation from two different perspectives

C.spectacular performance on the court

D.players houston cant do without

E.McGrady ,an excellent basketball palyer

F.McGrady’s injury

Paragraph⑤

A.necessity for the teammates to improve their own skills

B.evaluation from two different perspectives

C.spectacular performance on the court

D.players houston cant do without

E.McGrady ,an excellent basketball palyer

F.McGrady’s injury

McGrady plays basketball so well

A. that his teammates cannot help admiring him       

B. that he is often yelled at by the coach            

C. who can play basketball so well                   

D. because he had been injured                        

E. if Houston hopes to win                            

F. since he returned

He has helped his team gain more points in some games

A. that his teammates cannot help admiring him       

B. that he is often yelled at by the coach            

C. who can play basketball so well                   

D. because he had been injured                        

E. if Houston hopes to win                            

F. since he returned

Yao ming missed several games

A. that his teammates cannot help admiring him       

B. that he is often yelled at by the coach            

C. who can play basketball so well                   

D. because he had been injured                        

E. if Houston hopes to win                            

F. since he returned

There are very few people on the earth

A. that his teammates cannot help admiring him       

B. that he is often yelled at by the coach            

C. who can play basketball so well                   

D. because he had been injured                        

E. if Houston hopes to win                            

F. since he returned

Everyone will have to contribute

A. that his teammates cannot help admiring him       

B. that he is often yelled at by the coach            

C. who can play basketball so well                   

D. because he had been injured                        

E. if Houston hopes to win                            

F. since he returned

下面的短文有5处空白，短文后有6个句子，其中5个取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。

Critical Reading

   Critical reading applies to non-fiction writing in which the author puts forth a position or seeks to make a statement. Critical reading is active reading.It involves more than just understanding what an author is saying.        Here are the things you should do to be a critical reader.

   Consider the context of what is written. You may be reading something that was written by an author from a different cultural context than yours. Or,you may be reading something written some time ago in a different time context than yours.  

   Question assertions made by the author. Don't accept what is writ ten at face value.         Look for facts,examples,and statistics that provide support. Also to see if the author has integrated the work of authorities.

   Compare what is written with other written work on the subject.Look to see that what is written is consistent with what others have written about the subject.            

   Analyze assumptions made by the author. Assumptions are whatever the author must believe is true in order to make assertions. In many cases,the author's assumptions are not directly stated.          Once you identify an assumption,you must decide whether or not the assumption is valid.

A.this means you must read carefully in order to identify any as sumptions.

B. Before accepting what is written, be certain that the author provides sufficient support for any assertions made.

C. Critical reading involves questioning and evaluating what the author is saying, and forming your own opinions about what the author is saying.

D. In either case,you must recognize and take into account an differences between your values and attitudes and those represented by the author.

E.If there are inconsistencies,carefully evaluate the support the author provides for the inconsistencies.

F.In doing this,be certain that the sources are credible.

下面的短文有10处空白，短文后列出12个词，其中10个取自短文，请根据短文内容将其分别放回原有位置，以恢复文章原貌。

American Roads

The United States is well-known for its network of major highways designed to help a driver get from one place to another in the shortest possible time. Although these wide modern          are generally smooth and well maintained,with few sharp curves and straight sections,a direct route is not always the most          one,large highways often pass by scenic areas and interesting small          .Furthermore,these highway generally connect large urban centers,which            that they become crowded with heavy traffic during rush hours ,when the ‘fast,direct’ route However,there is almost always another route to take          you are not in a hurry ,not far from the           new’ superhighways’,there are often olde,           heavily traveled roads which go through the countryside,some of these are good two-lane roads;others are uneven roads curving through the country,these secondary routes may go           steep slopes, along high cliffs,or down frightening hillside to towns           in deep valleys,through these less direct routes, longer and slower,they generally go to places           the air is clean and scenery is clean and scenery is beautiful ,and the driver may have a chance to get a fresh,clean view of the world.

A. Less

B. Up

C. Enjoyable

D. Relatively

E. Means

F. Roads

G. Lying

H. Through

I. Which

J. If

K. Where

L. towns