A few years ago I had an “aha!” moment regarding handwriting.

I had in my hand a sheet of paper with handwritten instructions on it for some sort of editorial task. It occurred at first that I did not recognize the handwriting, and then I realized whose it must be. I finally became aware of the fact that I had been working with this colleague for at least a year, maybe two, and yet I did not recognize her handwriting at that point.

It was a very important event in the computerization of life---a sign that the informal, friendly communication of people working together in an office had changed from notes in pen to instant messages and emails. There was a time when our workdays were filled with little letters and we recognized one another’s handwriting the way we know voices or faces.

As a child, visiting my father’s office, I was pleased to recognize, in little notes on the desk of his staff, the same handwriting I would see at home in the notes he would leave on the fridge---except that those notes were signed “dad” instead of “RFW’.

All this has been on my mind because of the talk about The rise and Fall of Handwriting, a book by Florey. She shows in her book a deep concern about the fall of handwriting and the failure of schools to teach children to write well, but many others argue that people in a digital age can’t be expected to learn to hold a pen.

I don’t buy it.

I don’t want to see anyone cut off from expressive, personal associations that a pen still promotes better than a digital keyboard does. For many a biographer, part of really getting to know their subjects is learning to read their handwriting.

What some people advocate is teaching one of the many attractive handwritings based on the handwriting of 16^th-century Italy. That may sound impossibly grand---as if they want kids to learn to draw by copying classical paintings. However, they have worked in many school systems.

1.Why was the author surprised at not recognizing his colleague’s handwriting?

A．He had worked with his colleague long enough.

B．His colleague’s handwriting was so beautiful.

C．His colleague’s handwriting was so terrible.

D．He still had a lot of work to do.

2. People working together in an office used to __________.

A．talk more about handwriting

B．take more notes on workdays

C．know better one another’s handwriting

D．communicate better with one another

3. According to the author, handwritten notes ___________.

A．are harder to teach in schools	B．attract more attention
C．are used only between friends	D．carry more message

4. We can learn from the passage that the author _____________.

A．thinks it impossible to teach handwriting

B．does not want to lose handwriting

C．does not agree with Florey

D．puts the blame on the computer

 

Recently, South Korean star PSY’s ‘Gangnam style” video has been popular on the Internet. It has become most people’s favorite music.

In fact, the song has set the Guinness World Record for the most popular video in the history of the Internet. More than two million people have said “like” since the song was on the Internet on July 15.

PSY”s special dance moves and funny horse riding style have attracted many people. Although many people do not understand the language, the video has become the talk of the Internet. The song has come to first place in the music charts(排行榜) in 31 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

“I just sang for my South Korean fans. I have never expected it to be popular in other countries,” PSY told the reporters on a concert. The song was so popular that a few of South Korean’s politicians showed PSY’s moves to attract supporters.

“The song came out in mid-July. It sings about the rich life of South Korea —especially Gangnam in Soeoul, where a lot of rich people live.

Millions of people have watched the video. Many stars, such as Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Nelly Furtado said that they love the song. These stars performed part of the song at a recent concert.

Riding high on the success of “Gangnam Style”, PSY was signed by Scooter Braun to Braun’s Schoolboy Records, a label distributed by Universal Republic.

PSY has written many hit songs of varying styles for different singers. Prior to “Gangnam Style” his most famous composition perhaps was Lee Seung Gi’s debut(首次亮相) song “Because You Are My Woman”.

1.What makes PSY’s “Gangnam Style” the famous music of millions of people?

A．The song has set the Guinness World Record.

B．The song has come to first place in the music chart.

C．They like the dance moves and the horse riding style.

D．They don’t understand the words of the song.

2.Why did some of South Korea’s politicians show PSY”s moves?

A．They wanted to tell people that they were also fond of music.

B．They wanted people to support them.

C．They were PSY’s fans.

D．They liked PSY’s dancing style.

3.What’s “Gangnam Style” about?

A．The way of horse riding.

B．The rich life of people of Gangnam in Seoul.

C．The Guinness World Record.

D．The love of stars.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A．Life of the Music Star PSY

B．“Gangnam Styly” —— Most people’s favorite Music

C．PSY’s Famous Compositions

D．Meaning of “Gangnam Style”

 

—How did you find the talk this morning? 

  —______.

  A．By asking my students              B．It was easy to find

  C．Very disappointing                 D．Just in time for it

 

The visiting minister expressed his satisfaction with the talk, ___ that he had enjoyed his stay here.

A. having added   B. to add   C. adding    D. added

Derrius Quarles, 19, had an unhappy childhood. But the Chicago teen didn’t give up. He tried his best and won $1 million in college scholarships (奖学金)! Now Derrius is a successful college student with a bright future.

When Derrius was 4, his father was killed. His mother couldn’t take care of him because of taking drugs. Derrius and his 9-year-old brother sometimes had to steal food to eat. Derrius felt different from other kids. In seventh grade, Derrius went to live in a foster home (寄养家庭). His foster parents weren’t nice to him. They told him that he’d never be anything in life.

Derrius didn’t do his best in school. The summer after ninth grade, that changed. Derrius had signed up for a biology class. He didn’t go to class the first day. On the second day, he showed up late. His teacher took him outside. She told him he was smart, but that he was wasting his potential (潜力). The talk inspired him and he planned to prove that he could be anything if he worked hard enough.

Adults at a summer program helped Derrius find out about scholarships he could earn to pay for college. In his senior year, Derrius filled out lots of applications. He told his friends, “You’re not going to see me for a long time.” Derrius’s hard work paid off. He won more than $1 million in scholarships! He has a lot to be proud of. But he’s most proud of helping others. Derrius gives speeches to teens, telling them how to find scholarships. In high school, Derrius got help buying a computer. He wanted to help others who needed them. Last year, he gave two laptops to high schoolstudents. There’s a lot of work in his future. Derrius doesn’t mind — hard work has got him where he is today. He knows it can take him anywhere.

1. From Paragraphs 2 and 3, we can learn that Derrius _____.

A．always studied hard in school

B．lived in the same foster home with his brother

C．hated his parents very much

D．was encouraged a lot by his biology teacher

2.The underlined word “it” in the last paragraph refers to _____.

A．great success	B．a scholarship
C．hard work	D．a computer

3.What kind of person do you think Derrius is?

A．Lazy but kind-hearted.

B．Selfish and naughty.

C．Confident but troublesome（带来麻烦的）.

D．Determined and generous（慷慨的）.

4.What does the author want to tell us?

A．The way to win a scholarship to a college.

B．The importance of family background.

C．Never forget people who have helped you.

D．Hard work pays off sooner or later.