belt as it weathers the U.S. economic downturn and tries to remain relevant in an industry challenged by
digital entertainment.
"We are in one of worst economies in 70 years. We are looking at everything we can possibly do to
be more efficient and more effective," ABC Entertainment president Steve McPherson told reporters on
Friday.
"We have to look at everything across the board from cost cutting to (using) other platforms for
smart ways to broker our efforts. It is an ongoing process. It is not a one time thing."
McPherson, attending the networks" semi-annual presentation to critics, said last year"s five month
strike by Hollywood screenwriters had "really hurt everybody" in the traditional television industry, and
he acknowledged the networks had lost viewers to other forms of entertainment.
"The world has changed under these businesses and we need to be incredibly diligent and confident
in what we do, otherwise we will be left by the wayside." he said. "Tomorrow is here, now, and we really
need to figure it out now and move forward."
ABC, a unit of Walt Disney Co, has lost about 9.7 percent of its prime time audience in the 2008-9
season compared with the same stage last year.
With the exception of current ratings leader CBS, the other two major U.S. networks Fox and NBC
have also lost similar percentages since the 2008-9 season started last September.
McPherson said he hoped ABC would continue to "take chances" on shows such as "Lost" and
"Dancing with the Stars" that were seen as daring when they were shown for the first time. But recent
new entries, such as "Pushing Daisies," "Eli Stone" and "Dirty Sexy Money," failed to resonate with
viewers and were canceled.
Despite the growing trend of watching television on iPods, on the Internet and on mobile phones,
McPherson said ABC"s main focus remained on broadcast.
"We are still a broadcast network and that is where our profits come from. The other platforms are
important. But people ask "Would we do a show that would be successful on the Internet as opposed
to on broadcast? ... and those are always secondary thoughts," he added.
1. The main idea of the passage is about__________.
A. the strike of Hollywood screenwriters
B. the decline of ABC"s prime time audience
C. ABC"s feeling economic, digital pressure
D. ABC"s main focus on broadcast
2. The 3rd paragraph suggests to us that__________.
A. cutting cost is the best way to recover from economic downturn
B. the economic situation is so serious that it will last long
C. using other smart way can develop the ongoing process
D. sparing no effort can complete the ongoing process
3 .McPherson"s attitude towards ABC"s future is full of__________.
A. doubt
B. confidence
C. worry
D. hope
done an eBay deal. So I decided to try my hand at online auction (网上拍卖).
Buying for beginners: Sign up on www.eBay.co.uk. Most items (e.g. tables, computers, and books)
ready for auction will come with a picture and a short description; others may be marked with "Buy It
Now" and have a fixed price. You can buy these right away.
If the item is being auctioned, you offer the highest price you are prepared to pay and eBay bids(出
价)for you .The bid will be increased little by little until it goes beyond your highest bid, then you are
emailed and asked if you would like to bid again. Auctions last up to 10 days, and when they finish you
get an e-mail telling you whether you have won the item.
How to pay: Sellers decide how they would like to be paid and you need to check this before placing
a bid as you might not want to post a cheque or postal orders. The easiest way is through PayPal, an
online payment system that takes the money away from your credit card(信用卡).
Selling made simple: If you plan to sell on eBay, it helps to include a picture of the item. I followed my
friends" advice and put up the items I wanted to sell for a 10-day auction, starting on a Thursday. This
way buyers had two weekends to bid.
The big things in life: It"s easy to post a small item, but furniture is a big part of eBay and this has to be
collected or sent by deliverymen. Check the ways of delivery before you bid.
1. What is the passage mainly about?
A. How to make payment online.
B. Ways of making delivery online.
C. How to use an online-auction system.
D. Advantages of an online auction system.
2. After bidding for an item, a buyer_________.
A. can"t buy other items any more
B. should make payment immediately
C. must give your credit card to the seller
D. has chances to make higher bids
3. You should if the item is being auctioned.
A. make loud noises
B. offer the highest price you are ready to pay
C. ask the other people"s price
D. get the others not to bid
4. The easiest way of making payment mentioned in the passage is________.
A. through a local bank system
B. through an online payment system
C. by sending the money to the seller
D. by paying the delivery man directly
But that"s not her way. Five years after losing her vision, Clements is back doing what she loves.
"It is long, Kathy," Clements says, running her hands down the length of her client"s hair. Kathy Braga
is letting it grow. It now hangs below her shoulders and down her back, and all she wants is a trim(修剪), so she asks Clements to show her how much an inch would be. Clements pulls a ruler from a drawer and
holds it up to Braga"s hair in front near her face. "Right here. An inch will be right here at your chin."
Clements was in this career for about 10 years before losing her vision. Now, when she begins cutting,
it"s easy to forget that Clements is completely blind. She carefully compares the length of each strand of
hair. Though confident of her sense of touch, she at times asks her client to be her eyes and check her
work.
After a careful inspection, Braga gives her approval. And after Clements blows her hair dry, she
remarks, "You made me younger. I love it."
Clements had been doing Braga"s hair for years before she became blind. Braga is proud to say she
was Clements" first customer after she lost her vision.
"She sat me in the kitchen. It was dark, and she said ," Are you ready?" I said, "I"m ready." And that is
when she took this thing, and she said, " Look and see if there is hair on the ground," and I said ," Yes,
there is ." And she said, "Okay, I have the right end of the thing."
Clements was 42 years old when she suffered a pulmonary embolism (肺栓塞) that cost her sight.
"I was dead for 20 minutes first and then half an hour, and the lack of oxygen killed my optical(视觉的)
nerve." The last thing Clements remembered that day was the ambulance coming to get her. "I couldn"t
breathe. The next thing I remembered was waking up three days later, blind, in the hospital."
Her ribs(肋骨)had been broken, when they treated her. Her shoulder was dislocated. She had to
undergo nine months of physical treatment.
"It was the hardest time in my life," she says. "Everything changed in my life: distance, smell, and
sound. My kids didn"t sound the same. My husband didn"t sound the same too. I didn"t know my home.
It took me three months to find the coffee table."
Once a month, a teacher from the Virginia Center for the Blind came to her home in Woodbridge,
about 40 kilometers from Washington. But Clements was eager to learn more. So in 2008, she left her
husband and sons, to go to the Virginia School for the Blind in Richmond for a nine-month program. "My
plan was to be able to do for my family again, to do what I like to do, cook, clean, make phone calls."
She learned basic skills like how to walk with a cane, how to listen and how to eat different foods.
There were classes in Braille, computer skills and using different gadgets designed for the blind.
Graduates of the program are expected to leave with not only life skills, but a marketable skill as well.
"My teacher asked me why I wouldn"t do hair. I said, " Hello. Blind. No, no, no." I was scared to
think I could even do it."
But gradually, Clements gained confidence and by the time she graduated, had styled 100 heads of
hair at the school. "People from headquarters came, people from the library, students, secretaries,
teachers, and friends came. Everybody came and let me do their hair," Clements says.
Three days a week she leaves home to volunteer at the House of Mercy, a Catholic service
organization that provides clothing, food and other support to the poor.
Kellie Ross, executive director of the House of Mercy, remembered when Clements first showed up
with her friend, Kathy Braga, to offer her help.
At first, she had no idea Clements was blind. "As she started to walk I realized she couldn"t see, "
Ross recalls. "She could have taken that tragic experience of losing her sight and gone inward, but
instead she used that experience to help other people who are suffering."
Clements says she feels blessed to day, five years after her brush with death. "I thank the Lord every
day for my blindness, because I"m alive," she says. "I could have been dead. I"m alive. I"m healthy, and
that is what matters."
1. What was Clements before she lost her sight?
A. A teacher.
B. A hairstylist.
C. An engineer.
D. A volunteer.
2. To judge the length of the hair of her clients, Clements mainly depends on _______.
A. some handy tools
B. their detailed descriptions
C. her sense of touch
D. Kathy Braga"s guidance
3. What can we learn about Kathy Braga?
A. She used to be a regular client of Clements.
B. She follows Clements to do volunteering work every week.
C. She was the first to encourage Clements to try hairstyling.
D. She always pretends to be satisfied with Clements" skill.
4. When she lost her sight, Clements found that _________.
A. her family became hopeless and discouraged
B. her other senses had also been affected
C. her kids and husband began to treat her differently
D. she lost interest in speaking to her family members
5. What would be the best title of the passage?
A. Brave woman expresses her gratitude for life.
B. After going blind, hairstylist returns to work.
C. Programs for the blind give them new hope for life.
D. Blind hairstylist finds pleasure in volunteering work.
some friendships do not last very long. To have a friend, you must learn to be one. You must learn to
treat your friend the way you want your friend treat you. Learning to be a good friend means learning
three rules. Be honest; be generous; be understanding.
Honesty is where a good friendship starts. Friends must be able to trust one another. If you do not
tell the truth, people usually find it out. If a friend finds out that you haven’t been honest, you may lose
your friends’ trust. Good friends always believe in one another as they always speak and act honestly.
Generosity means sharing, which makes a friendship grow. People do not have to give lunch money
for clothes, of course. Instead you have to learn how to share things you enjoy, like your hobbies and
your interest. Then, naturally you will want to share your ideas and feelings. These can be very valuable
to a friend.They tell your friend what is important to you. By sharing them, you help your friend know
you better.
Sooner or later, every one needs understanding and help with a problem. Something may go wrong
at school. Talking about the problem can make it easier to solve. Turning to a friend can be a first step
in solving the problem. So to be a friend you must listen and understand. You must try to put yourself in
your friend’s place so you can understand the problem better.
No two friendships are ever exactly alike. But all true friendships have three things in common. If you
plan to keep your friends, you must practice honesty, generosity, and understanding.
1. Some friendships don’t last very long because _______.
A. there are too many people who want to make friends with others.
B. those who never give others friendships receive no friendship from others.
C. people usually find out the truth even if they are not told the truth.
D. they don’t know friendship is something very serious to other people.
2. The underlined word “generous” means _______.
A. willing to give and share
B. short of honour
C. soft and friendly
D. ready to help others
3. According to the passage honesty is _______.
A. something very good
B. the base of friendship
C. as important as money
D. more important than anything
4. Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage?
A. Always tell your friend the truth that you have known.
B. Sharing your mind with your friend is of great value.
C. Discussing problems with your friends helps solve them.
D. A friend who gives you his lunch money is a true friend.
Sometimes, the word green means young, fresh and growing. Sometimes, it describes something that
is not yet ripe or finished. For example, a greenhorn is someone who has no experience, who is new to
a situation. In the fifteenth century, a greenhorn referred to a young cow or ox whose horns (角) had not yet developed. A century or so later, a greenhorn was for a soldier who had not yet had any experience
in battle. By the eighteenth century, a greenhorn had the meaning it has today - a person who is new in a
job.
Someone who has the ability to grow plants well is said to have a green thumb. The expression
comes from the early nineteen hundreds. A person with a green thumb seems to have a magic touch that makes plants grow quickly and well. You might say that the woman next door has a green thumb if her
garden continues to grow long after your plants have died.
The Green Revolution is the name given some years ago to the development of new kinds of rice
and other grains. The new plants produced much larger crops. The Green Revolution was the result of
hard work by agricultural scientists who had green thumbs.
Green is also the color used to describe the powerful feeling - jealousy (嫉妒). The green-eyed monster (怪物) is not a frightening creature from outer space. It is an expression used about four hundred years ago by British writer William Shakespeare in his play “Othello”. It describes the unpleasant feeling a person has when someone has something that he wants to get. A young man may suffer from the green-eyed
monster if his girlfriend begins going out with someone else. Or, that green-eyed monster may affect your friend if you get a pay rise and he does not.
B. a person with little experience
C. a young horse
D. a fruit that is not yet ripe
B. whose thumbs are in green color
C. whose garden is greener than others’
D. who is younger than his neighbors
B. language
C. culture
D. agriculture
B. The Green Revolution has connection with agricultural science.
C. We will call a person who is good at gardening a green thumb.
D. People use “a green-eyed monster” to describe a jealous person.
Have you ever been to the beautiful country of Holland and its capital Amsterdam? Anyone who has
traveled to Amsterdam would probably agree on one thing: Amsterdam’s story is a tale of two cities - one during the day and a completely different one at night.
During the day, this largest city in the Netherlands sits quietly on the Amstel River. You can rent a
bicycle, visit the Van Gogh or Anne Frank museum, or take a water taxi. But when the sun goes down, the partying begins. In the big clubs and in the coffee shops, tourists gather to talk politics and smoke.
Several areas of the city clearly show the two worlds that rule Amsterdam. And they’re all within a
short cab ride of each other. For example, Dam Square attracts daytime sightseers to its festivals, open
markets, concerts and other events. Several beautiful and very popular hotels can be found there. And
there’s the Royal Palace and the Magna Plaza shopping mall.
But at night party-seekers come to the square. Hip hop or funk music (疯狂音乐) is heard there. So if you come, be ready to dance. The clubs don’t shut down until 4 am.
And while you’re there, check out the various inexpensive ways to tour the city. Don’t worry about getting lost. Although Dutch is the official language, most people in Amsterdam speak English and are happy
to help you with directions. And you’ll notice that half the people walking around in the streets are on
bicycles they rent.
Amsterdam also has a well-planned canal system. For about 10 dollars, you can use the canal bus or
a water taxi to cruise (巡游) the “Venice of the North”.
The city has a historic past. One impressive (印象深刻的) place to visit is the Anne Frank House on Nine Street. It was there that the young Jewish girl wrote her famous diary during World War II. Visitors
can view Anne’s original diary and climb behind the bookcase to the room where she and her family hid
from the Nazis for two years.
1. What means of transport is not available to visitors in Amsterdam?
A. A carriage.
B. A bicycle.
C. A canal bus.
D. A water taxi.
2. When getting lost, a visitor can ask natives for directions in _______.
A. only Dutch
B. Dutch or English
C. only English
D. Chinese and English
3. What can you learn about by visiting the Anne Frank House?
A. The wonderful past of Amsterdam
B. The experience of a beautiful girl survivor.
C. The life of Jewish during World WarⅡ
D. The suffering of the Dutch in wars.
4. The passage is intended to _______.
A. call up people’s memories of World WarⅡ
B. tell readers what A Tale of Two Cities is about
C. instruct visitors what to do and see in Holland
D. offer readers some information about Amsterdam
5. This passage is most likely taken from _______.
A. a personal diary
B. a test paper
C. a travel journey
D. a history book
- 1用科学计数法表示361000000为 [ ]A.361×106B.36.1×107C.3.61×108D.0.3
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- 3-Which do you like better, tea or coffee? -_______ of them.
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- 6Peter was _______ tired that he couldn"t continue running. [
- 7听下面一段材料,回答第1-3题。1. Why did the man call the English Language
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- 1补写出下列名篇名句中的空缺部分。(5分)(1)狗吠深巷中, 。(2)
- 2有A、B两种常温下有刺激性气味的气体,将黄绿色气体A通入品红溶液中,品红溶液变为无色;将气体B通入品红溶液中,品红溶液也
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- 6The mother was trembling with anger . She ______her son and
- 7材料一:《中华人民共和国宪法》第一百零四条规定:县级以上的地方各级人民代表大会常务委员会讨论、决定本行政区域内各方面工作
- 8分解因式:y3-4xy2+4x2y.
- 9为缓解旱情,有时要实施人工降雨.人工降雨是飞机在高空投撒干冰(固态二氧化碳),干冰进入冷云层,就很快______成气体,
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