We have been providing performing arts information for over 14 years. Here you can search for plays, musicals, concerts and operas across the UK.

1.The main purpose of the text is to inform readers of____.

A. film posters                         

B. performance information 

C. the theatre’s advice                   

D. picture exhibitions

2.Which performance will be on show for the shortest period of time?

A. Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess

B. The Lion King

C. Mother Courage and Her Children

D. Duke Bluebeard’s Castle

3. What can we learn from the text?

A. The first three shows are inspiring.

B. The shows are intended for children.

C. All of them have won many awards.

D. The characters in the shows are brave.

“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)

     After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, pletely humbled（挫败的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”

     Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 

Although Peters had consulted(咨询) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.

     As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”

     Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暂时的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.

The couple signed the contract because _______.

    A. Pat plained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself

    B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest

    C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks

    D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book

It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.

    A. pay a certain amount of money

    B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 

 C. say sorry to his wife

    D. do all the housework for years

What can we learn about Pat Peters?

    A. She was hard-working and selfless.

    B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.

    C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.

    D. She did not love Bob any longer.

Which of the following can best end the news story?

    A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”

    B. “My experience of being a mother.”

    C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”

    D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

B
“It was all his own idea, ” says Pat Peters, the 38-year-old wife of Palo Alto, California high school football coach Bob Peters, 39. Bob had just drawn up a “motherhood contract” --a document stating that for 70 days this summer he would take over the care and feeding of the couple’s four children, plus all household chores. Although he didn’t even know how to make coffee when he signed, he was quite confident.(He thought the experience would make a nice book.)
After 40 of the 70 days, he was ready to give up. “I was beaten down, completely humbled（挫败的）,”  admits Peters. Three weeks later he spoke to the local press, stating, “Not only is motherhood a difficult task, not only is it never-ending, it is an impossible job for any normal human being.”
Bob and Pat were high school sweethearts. After they were married in 1960, she worked as a secretary to help put him through university. Since then Bob has been the football and wrestling coach at Palo Alto’s Cubberley High while Pat raised the kids. Then two years ago Pat went back to work as a secretary at Cubberley. “I had been around children so much,” she sighs, “I couldn’t talk to a grown-up.” She continued to run the household, however----until Bob signed the contract, therefore, she decided to relax and enjoy it. 
Although Peters had consulted(咨询) with his school’s home economics teachers and the head of the cafeteria, his meals were sometimes a disaster. “I tried to slip the butter I’d forgotten under the eggs after they were frying, ” he says. For the last three weeks, the family ate out a lot—sometimes having Macdonald’s hamburgers for lunch and dinner.
As for housekeeping, a home economics teacher had told Bob that a room always looks clean if the bed is made. “I found an easier way-I shut the doors, ” he says. Soon the kids were wearing the same clothes for a week. “I made them wear their shirts inside out, and when we went to pick up Pat at work they turned them right side out so they would look clean.”
Now that Bob has publicly admitted he was wrong, he is routinely sharing the child-raising and household tasks with Pat. The tentative（暂时的） title of his book about the summer is taken from something he shouted at the kids one day.
45. The couple signed the contract because _______.
A. Pat complained a lot about her doing the housework all by herself
B. Bob loved taking care of children and wanted his wife to have a good rest
C. they agreed that husband and wife should share household tasks
D. Bob thought it easy to take care of the family and wanted the experience for a book
46. It was agreed that if Bob failed to keep to the contract, he would have to _______.
A. pay a certain amount of money
B.  admit publicly he was wrong about motherhood 
C. say sorry to his wife         D. do all the housework for years
47. What can we learn about Pat Peters?
A. She was hard-working and selfless.   B. She was pretty and kind-hearted.
C. She was tired of the child-raising and household tasks.
D. She did not love Bob any longer.
48. Which of the following can best end the news story?
A. “Wait till your mother gets home!”    B. “My experience of being a mother.”
C. “I’m proud of you all, my dear!”     D. “Motherhood: an impossible job for anyone.”

We have been providing performing arts information for over 14 years. Here you can search for plays, musicals, concerts and operas across the UK.

The main purpose of the text is to inform readers of____.

A. film posters                     

B. performance information 

C. the theatre’s advice                       

D. picture exhibitions

Which performance will be on show for the shortest period of time?

A. Bob the Builder—Spud’s Big Mess

B. The Lion King

C. Mother Courage and Her Children

D. Duke Bluebeard’s Castle

What can we learn from the text?

A. The first three shows are inspiring.

B. The shows are intended for children.

C. All of them have won many awards.

D. The characters in the shows are brave.

Winning the lottery (彩票) is not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow for many past winners. Sad stories do exist in large numbers for the past lottery winners and that's why some financial experts say "70 percent of lottery winners will squander away (乱花) winning within a few years." Some end up losing all within two years, family relationships destroyed or even worse.

Wayne Schenk was an old soldier diagnosed with lung cancer. When he won a million dollars in a lottery he thought his troubles were over and he would get the advanced medical treatment that might save his life. But Lottery officials refused to pay him the total sum in a single payment and they said they could not make an exception to the regulations. When Schenk died in 2007, he'd only received one payment of $34,000.

Another lottery winner, Billy Bob Harrell, Jr. killed himself two years after winning 31 million dollars in the Texas lottery in 1997.He'd spent large amounts of money and given large amounts away, but he didn't end me expected peace that should have come with the freedom of money.

Other lottery winners have ended up in prison for crimes. Many suffer bankruptcy (破产) after the big jackpot (头奖) is spent and given away, including some of the eight people who won the 365 million Powerball in 2006.

The examples given paint a sad picture of what can happen if you win a big lottery jackpot, but fortunately, these examples don't tell the stories of all jackpot winners.

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A. Most lottery winners use up money quickly.

B. Most lottery winners don't really end up well.

C. Winning lottery means relationships destroyed.

D. Financial experts are against the lottery industry.

2.Why did lottery officials refuse to give Wayne Schenk the million dollars in one payment?

A. He was diagnosed with lung cancer.

B. He was unwilling to give away his money.

C. They had to observe the official rules.

D. They didn't want to disturb his peace.

3.The author supports his main idea by ____.

A. giving examples                               B. making comparisons

C. listing numbers                                          D. listing reasons

4.In the following paragraph, the author will probably talk about_____.

A. advice given by financial experts

B. happy stories of the lottery winners

C. conclusion drawn by the author

D. regulations about lottery winning