(February 17, 2012)

What a week it’s been for Jeremy Lin.

With five breakout games, the Taiwanese-American has become the NBA’s newest playmaking sensation.
　 In the New York Knicks’ 92-85 win over the Los Angles Lakers last Saturday, Lin had a career-high 38 points. And a day later, he led the Knicks to their fifth straight victory, 100-98, to Minnesota Timberwolves.
　 In his previous games, Lin, 23, had 23 points against the Washington, 25 points against New Jersey and 28 more against Utah in his first start.
　 No doubt, Lin fever is starting to spread. If you haven’t already caught “Linsanity” (林疯狂), get ready because it’s coming, as the Knicks pin their championship hopes on the rising star.
　 If you want to know more about Lin, here are five facts about him from the Associated Press (AP):
　 1. He is smart. Before graduating from high school in Palo Alto, California, Lin sent his resume to all the Ivy League schools. He only got into Harvard and Brown, and he chose Harvard. In 2010, Lin graduated with a degree in economics.
　 2. He is the first American player in the NBA of Chinese descent (血统). Lin was born in the US and his family is Asian. Despite not being born in China, Lin has co-opted Yao Ming’s old fan base of Asian-American’s who see him as a powerful role model.
　 3. He wasn’t drafted (选拔). After graduating from Harvard, Lin wasn’t drafted by any NBA team, which would have made him the first Ivy League alumni(校友) to be drafted since 1955.

4. He started off on the Golden State Warriors. Lin first signed with the Warriors in July, 2010, but rarely played in games before the start of the fourth quarter. His first time on the court for the Worriers earned him seven points, three rebounds(篮板) and two assists (助攻)in just 11 minutes.
　 5. He is a perfect fit for the Knicks. New York Knicks has been in need of a reliable point guard and to Mike D’Antoni, the Knicks coach who is going through a tough season, Lin is a most unexpected asset (有价值的人). “Lin just does everything easy and the rest of the guys around him are playing the way we want to play,” D’Antoni said. “I think it’s for real, and it can only get better.”
44. How many victories did Jeremy Lin get before beating Minnesota Timberwolves?

A. 3　　　　　　　　　　 B. 4　　　　　　　　　 C. 5　　　　　　　　 D. 6

45. We can learn from the passage that_________.

A. Jeremy Lin is the first Chinese player in the NBA.

B. Jeremy Lin was highly spoken of by the Knicks coach, Mike D’Antoni.

C. Without doubt the New York Knicks will win championship with the help of Jeremy Lin.

D.After graduating from Harvard, Jeremy Lin became the leading player on the Golden State Warriors.

46. What would be the best title for the passage?

A. Wonderful Start for Jeremy Lin in the NBA　　　　B. Jeremy Lin’s Easy Road to the NBA

C. Jeremy Lin’s Unusual Life in the NBA　　　　　　　　D. Jeremy Lin, A talent in the NBA

Do you have any idea what you would like to be and do after graduation? A lot of people don’t begin thinking about careers until they reach junior or senior year, which, in my opinion, is too late.

When people are trying to decide what they want to do, it helps to know something they love. Ever since I was little, I’ve always been doing someone’s hair, make-up or nails, starting with Barbie dolls and progressing to humans. Over the years my family has really inspired me to do this and now I fix friends’ and family members’ hair for weddings, dances and other big events.

I have been thinking about what I would like to do for a career since middle school. I did some research and discovered that I might really enjoy being a cosmetologist, so I went to my hair stylist and asked her lots of questions about what it takes to reach her level and what she would recommend I do. I considered her advice and then did more research.

I used Aveda’s website to get information on the Aveda Institute and what type of credit(贷款) I would need from high school to apply. I found their institute has three parts: theoretical knowledge, practical experience, and professional business-building skills. For the past few years, I have been looking at Aveda in more and more detail. This school not only offers cosmetology, but also massage therapy. I grew up in Minnesota(美国中北部的一个州), so I plan to apply to the institute in Minneapolis that several people have highly recommended. It helps students become “future industry leaders in hair care, skin care, makeup and total body wellness”. It is affordable and everyone there is friendly and understanding.

Having done the groundwork and thinking about what I’d like to do after high school, I know that I will definitely pursue my dream of becoming a cosmetologist.

 After reading the text, we can infer the author is interested in ___________.

traveling abroad  B. service business  C. social activities  D. acting on the stage.

Why does the author think it’s too late for people to start thinking about careers in junior or senior year?

A. Because he/she began to think about them when very young.

B. Because many people are too old to learn.

C. Because a lot of people can’t grasp the opportunity.

D. Because many people have little they love.

We know from the text that a cosmetologist is __________ .

A. a chemist working at college    B. a person who works in the institute

C. a doctor in a hospital          D. a person doing all types of body care for people

The author plans to apply to the institute in Minneapolis NOT because________

the people there are good to others  B. some people advise him/her to do so

C.  the institute is free of charge       D. the institute is helpful to his/her future

45. The author of the text may be a __________.

 A. married person  B. middle school student  C. college student   D. a teacher in an institute.

When I was young, I belonged to a club that did community service work. There was one specific event that was   1    for me. I spent three or four hours handing out warm dinner to the ___2_ out in the streets. After that I went to a homeless shelter(避难所) not far from the Bay Bridge. I was in high school and at the time my sister was too young to join in . She wanted to help,   3    she made many chocolate chip cookies for me to __4_____ and hand out to people. When getting to the shelter, I passed out the   5   . I began making sandwiches and shared them with the crowd. I had the containers with my sister’s cookies in them and began to walk around, offering them to anyone near me.

I walked   6  to an old gentleman and said, “Sir, would you like a cookie?” He stopped and turned around, looked at me   7  and said, “What did you say? Did you call me sir?” I told him I had , and his eyes  8  a little bit and said, “No one has ever called me sir.” So he was completely   9 . It struck me.

I explained I had been raised that regardless of (不顾)   10  and social status（地位）, everyone deserved(值得）  11 . It saddened me to think that just because he was homeless, no one offered him the honor . It broke my heart. I just didn’t understand   12  no one ever called him sir. I had never thought that anyone was   13   me because I wasn’t raised that way. Every single person deserves to be treated with respect. Years later, I still carry that   14    and the lesson it taught me. Somtimes, what we take for granted can really make a difference in   15  life.

1.                A．uncommon      B．unusual         C．universal  D．simple

2.                A．winners        B．losers          C．hopeless  D．homeless

3.                A．but            B．so             C．while D．though

4.                A．enjoy          B．eat            C．take D．produce

5.                A．meals          B．cookies         C．chocolates D．chips

6.                A．near           B．close           C．forward  D．along

7.                A．briefly         B．swiftly          C．highly    D．directly

8.                A．cried          B．opened         C．watered  D．lit

9.                A．disappointed    B．moved         C．spoiled   D．relieved

10.               A．income         B．pain           C．colour D．goal

11.               A．respect        B．praise          C．happiness  D．laughter

12.               A．what           B．how           C．why  D．whether

13.               A．in front of       B．below          C．behind    D．beside

14.               A．word          B．memory        C．feeling    D．sadness

15.               A．someone’s     B．anyone’s      C．everyone’s   D．no one’s

If Dick Drew had listened to his boss in 1925, we might not have a product that we now think of as of great importance: a new type of tape. Drew worked for the Minnesota Mining Company. At work he developed a kind of material strong enough to hold things together. But his boss told him not to think more about the idea. Finally, using his own time, Drew improved the tape, which now is used everywhere by many people. And his former company learned from its mistake. Now it encourages people to spend 15 percent of their work time just thinking about and developing new ideas.   
Creativity is not something one is just born with, nor is it necessarily a character of high intelligence. The fact that a person is highly intelligent does not mean that he uses it creatively. Creativity is the matter of using the resources one has to produce new ideas that are good for something.
Unfortunately, schools have not tried to encourage creativity. With strong attention to test results and the development of reading, writing and mathematical skills, many educators give up creativity for correct answers. The result is that children can give back information but can’t recognize ways to use it in new situations. They may know the rules correctly but they are unable to use them to work out practical problems.
It is important to give children choices. From the earliest age, children should be allowed to make decisions and understand their results. Even if it’s choosing between two food items for lunch, decision-making helps thinking skills. As children grow older, parents should let their children decide how to use their time or spend their money. This is because the most important character of creative people is a very strong desire to find a way out of trouble.

1. 1.

   What did the company where Drew once worked learn from its mistake?

   1. A.
      They should encourage people to work a longer time.
   2. B.
      People should be discouraged to think freely.
   3. C.
      People will do better if they spend most of their work time developing new ideas.
   4. D.
      It is necessary for people to spend some of their work time considering and improving new ideas.
2. 2.

   According to the passage, creativity is ________.

   1. A.
      something that most people are born with
   2. B.
      something that depends mainly on intelligence
   3. C.
      a way of using what one has learned to work out new problems
   4. D.
      something that is not important to the character of a person at all
3. 3.

   Why do schools tend to fail to encourage creativity?

   1. A.
      They give children too many choices.
   2. B.
      They are not strict enough with children.
   3. C.
      They care too much about examination marks.
   4. D.
      They don’t understand the importance of education.
4. 4.

   Which of the following skills is the most important in developing creativity?

   1. A.
      Reading.
   2. B.
      Writing.
   3. C.
      Mathematical skill.
   4. D.
      Decision-making.

I began working in journalism when I was eight. It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to “make something” of myself, and decided I had better start young if I was to have any chance of keeping up with the competition.
With my load of magazines I headed toward Belleville Avenue. The crowds were there. There were two gas stations on the corner of Belleville and Union. For several hours I made myself highly visible, making sure everyone could see me and the heavy black letters on the bag that said THE SATURDAY EVENING POST. When it was suppertime, I walked back home.
“How many did you sell, my boy?” my mother asked.
“None.”
“Where did you go?”
“The corner of Belleville and Union Avenues.”
“What did you do?”
“Stood on the corner waiting for somebody to buy a Saturday Evening Post.”
“You just stood there?”
“Didn’t sell a single one.”
“My God, Russell!”
Uncle Allen put in, “Well, I’ve decided to take the Post.” I handed him a copy and he paid me a nickel. It was the first nickel I earned.
Afterwards my mother taught me how to be a salesman. I would have to ring doorbells, address adults with self-confidence, and persuade them by saying that no one, no matter how poor, could afford to be without the Saturday Evening Post in the home.
One day, I told my mother I’d changed my mind. I didn’t want to make a success in the magazine business.
“If you think you can change your mind like this,” she replied, “you’ll become a good-for-nothing.” She insisted that, as soon as school was over, I should start ringing doorbells, selling magazines. Whenever I said no, she would scold me.
My mother and I had fought this battle almost as long as I could remember. My mother, dissatisfied with my father’s plain workman’s life, determined that I would not grow up like him and his people. But never did she expect that, forty years later, such a successful journalist as me would go back to her husband’s people for true life and love.
【小题1】Why did the boy start his job young?