【推荐1】Do you still remember the scene in the famous movie Titanic, directed by Cameron, where Jack was frozen to death in the icy cold water so that Rose could survive on the floating door alone? It broke many people’s heart.

Two decades later, people are still asking the question, “wasn’t there enough room on the door for both of them?”

Cameron once responded by saying it wasn’t a question of room, but buoyancy (浮力) — if both of them had tried to stay on the door, he argued, the whole thing would sink.

But several guys from “Mythbusters”, an Australian-American science entertainment television program, decided to test the theory themselves. They discovered that if Rose had took off her life jacket to the bottom of the door, there would have been enough buoyancy to keep both of them afloat.

“It was an artistic choice, the thing was just big enough to hold her, and not big enough to hold him,” Cameron said. “I think it’s all kind of silly, really, that we’re having this discussion 20 years later. But it does show that the film was effective in making Jack so attractive to the audience that it hurts them to see him die. The film is about death and separation; he had to die.”

Since Jack was doomed to die, Cameron said, it could have happened in a variety of different ways. It’s not about the door not being big enough: that’s just a practical method for his death. “Whether it was that, or whether a chimney (烟囱) fell on him, he was going down,” Cameron said. “It’s called art: things happen for artistic reasons, not for physics reasons.”

1. What do we know about the character Jack according to the text?

A．He intended to kill himself.	B．He sacrificed himself to save Rose.
C．He didn’t have money to buy ticket.	D．He lacked basic knowledge of physics.

2. According to Cameron, why can’t audience accept Jack’s death?

A．They are artistic people.	B．They like the movie.
C．They love the character Jack.	D．They are eager for truth.

3. The best title for this passage is________.

A．Jack in Titanic Had to Die.	B．Big Enough for Both.
C．Cameron Is Wrong.	D．Jack Could Survive.

4. Where can you probably find this article?

A．A movie poster.	B．A notice board.
C．A government report.	D．A popular magazine.

【推荐2】Movies to Enjoy

Eating Animals

The 2018 documentary Eating Animals, based on the book by Jonathan Safran Foer published in 2009, tells us that factory farming is bad, and that most Americans don’t realize just how bad. Still, this isn’t a feel-guilty film. There’s plenty of hope as director Christopher Quinn shows farmers who are still using practices that do not, for example, force chickens to live their short lives in a dark building while covered in their own poop (大便). Will the film cause you to go vegan (素食主义者)? Eh, burgers are really tasty. But it will make you think about what it is that you’re putting in your mouth and maybe inspire you to head for the farmers’ market to see what a chicken that lived a happy life tastes like.

Landmark’s E Street Cinema, 555 11th St. NW, Washington, D. C.; opens on Oct. 15 (Mon.),   $10-$12.50.

Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema, 7235 Woodmont Ave. Bethesda, MD.; opens on Oct. 15(Mon.),   $9.50-$12.50.

The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia

Sometimes it’s enjoyable to see what everyone else has been seeing. It helps with dinner party   conversation. Sometimes, though, it’s fun to see something really different. The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia is a 2009 documentary about the only two surviving performers of Armenian tightrope dancing, 76 and 77 at the time of the film, and their desperate efforts to pass on the traditional art form to the only student of tightrope dancing left in the land, a 16- year-old orphan boy.

Library of Congress, Mary Pickford Theater, 101 Independence Ave. SE, Washington D.C.;   Oct. 15 (Mon.),8p.m., free.

Family Movie Series

The Old Greenbelt Theatre is here to help quiet the endless “ I’m bored “ at the weekend. Every Sunday at l p.m., you can take the kids to see a family-friendly film for free, including Despicable Me 3 and Paddington 2. Just have fun!

The Old Greenbelt Theatre, 129 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD.;Sundays through

Dec.30,1p.m.,free.
1. Which statement about Eating Animals is TRUE?

A．It’s directed by Jonathan Safran Foer.

B．It’s a feel-guilty story about the bad factory farming.

C．It may cause many more Americans to go vegan.

D．It can help raise people’s awareness of food.

2. What could someone who wants to enjoy a film for free on October 15 choose?

A．Eating Animals.	B．The Last Tightrope Dancer in Armenia.
C．Despicable Me 3.	D．Paddington 2.

3. Where should she go if a woman wants to spend a happy weekend with her children?

A．Landmark Bethesda Row Cinema

B．Library of Congress, Mary Pickford Theater.

C．555 11th St. NW,Washington, D.C.

D．129 Centerway, Greenbelt, MD.

【推荐3】When it comes to classic kids' movies, you can go a bit crazy. We all have our favorites we grew up watching and even more films that are becoming part of culture today. Now. the world's most adored kids' movies go back and enjoy another time around…whether it's your first or 500th lime watching» these are worth it!

Shrek

Comedian Mike Myers joins Eddie Murphy and Cameron Diaz to voice this Dreamworks film. Again, taking fairy tales and turning them on their heads, Shrek does it like no other! Of course, you can also enjoy the sequels （续集）, but the first film is our personal favorite. Spirited Away

This 2001 Japanese animated movie was written and directed by the famous Hayao Miyazaki. Spirited Away is a powerful tale with a strong female heroine that won itself an Academy Award. Also, it quickly became Japan's most profitable movie in history. If you haven't seen it, please do not miss this heart-warming tale.

Finding Nemo

Our favorite Pixar movie has to be Finding Nemo. Not only is the film strikingly beautiful, but it's extremely imaginative and adorable. I'm sorry, but the sequel just cannot compare. Also Ellen DeGeneres steals the show with her voicing of Dory.

The Lion King

As far as kids' movies go. The Lion has to be the most classic animated film. It's also an award-winning Broadway play. Did you hear the big news? The Lion King was remade and came out in 2019 with a ridiculously talented cast.

1. What earns Spirited Away an Academy Award?

A．Its director.	B．Its largest profit.
C．Its tale and female role.	D．Its Japanese setting.

2. What does the author say about the sequel of Finding Nemo?

A．It is not so good as the first.	B．It is beautiful and adorable.
C．Its plot is more creative.	D．Its tone of voice is not serious.

3. Which kids' movie was reshot?

A．Shrek,	B．Finding Nemo.
C．Spirited Away.	D．The Lion King.

【推荐1】“Hey, don’t read in the hallway. Your eyesight will be damaged.” You must have heard such warnings many times. Don’t read in dim (暗的)light! This is one of the “pearls of wisdom” that are supposed to help us live a healthy life. Such common beliefs, however, lack scientific basis, according to a paper published recently in the British Medical Journal.

Do you believe in the following everyday wisdom?

Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight.

In dim light, you might blink (眨眼) more, feel discomfort from drying and have trouble focusing. But the majority of eye experts believe it is unlikely to do any permanent damage.

We must drink at least eight glasses of water a day.

In 1945, the Nutrition Council in US suggested that people need to consume 2.5 litres of water a day. But the water contained in food, particularly fruit and vegetables, as well as in milk, juice and soft drinks, also counts towards the total.

We only use 10 percent of our brains.

This myth arose as early as 1907. People have long argued about our power of self-improvement and our brains’ potential abilities. But detailed imaging shows that no area of the brain is silent or inactive.

Shaving your legs causes hair to grow black faster and thicker.

This theory is also illusion. Shaving has no effect on the thickness or rate of hair growth, studies say. Just over time, the edge of hair gets worn away and thus the edge of long hair becomes finer (更细). So hair that is newly grown gives the impression of darkness.

1. What does the paper say about some common beliefs?

A．They are pearls of wisdom

B．They help us live in healthy ways

C．They are well-known theories.

D．They do not have scientific basis.

2. Which of the following is true according to the passage ?

A．Reading in dim light does permanent harm to one’s eyes.

B．People need a total of 2.5 litres of water a day

C．People use 90 percent of their brains.

D．Shaving your legs will give you thicker hair.

3. Why does newly-grown hair look thicker?

A．Because it is darker.

B．Because it grows faster.

C．Because its edge isn’t worn away.

D．Because shaving has an effect on it.

4. This passage is most likely to be found in __________.

A．a newspaper	B．a science fiction
C．a biology textbook	D．a medical book

【推荐2】The Amazon basin region is home to about 2.5 million insect species, tens of thousands of plants, and some 2,000 birds and mammal is. To date, at least 40,000 plant species, 3,000 fish, 1,294 birds, 427mammals, 428 amphibians, and 378 reptiles have been scientifically classified in the region. One in five of all the birds in the world live in the Amazon rainforest.

The warm and wet forest has been in existence for at least 55 million years, and thrived even during glacial periods, allowing for the evolution of an unbelievable diversity of species. Radiocarbon dating has revealed trees of 10 centimeter in diameter to be more than 300 years old, and some trees over 1,000 years old, indicating that untouched forests can experience unbelievable longevity.

The first human inhabitants are thought to have settled in the Amazon region about 11,200 years ago. European explorers arrived in the 16th century, bringing diseases which traveled faster than the explorers themselves, killing perhaps as many as 90% of the indigenous inhabitants. By the late 17th century the Amazon basin was controlled by Portuguese and Spanish explorers.

The Amazon rainforest has been described as the lungs of our planet because of its important role in recycling carbon dioxide into oxygen. But due to deforestation, rainforests now coverless than 5% of the Earth's land surface, and experts believe that this is a big contributor to global climate change. Severe deforestation began in the 20th century, with 587,000 square kilometers lost up to the year 2000. Most deforested land is used for grassland to raise farm animals and agriculture. The addition of transport routes has led to increased settlement and deforestation, and at the present rate, scientists estimate that the Amazon rainforest will be reduced by 40% in two decades.

1. Why are the figures mentioned in Paragraph 1?

A．To prove the forest untouched.	B．To classify species scientifically.
C．To show the diversity of species.	D．To attract more attention to the Amazon region.

2. Why did most indigenous inhabitants in the Amazon region die?

A．Because European explorers brought diseases there.

B．Because Portuguese explorers treated them badly.

C．Because a lot of trees were cut down and burned.

D．Because they got killed by Spanish explorers.

3. What can be inferred about the Amazon rainforest?

A．It has the largest number of species.	B．It covers over 5% of South America.
C．It is becoming larger in area.	D．It is being endangered now.

4. What may be included in the following paragraph?

A．Examples of destroying forests.	B．Measures to protect rainforests.
C．New settlements in the Amazon region.	D．Ways to stop global warming.

【推荐3】You may not know a lot of people when you start high school. Even if you know some freshmen (新生) , you still feel nervous that you don't know any upperclassmen or teachers. How are you going to make friends among this sea of unknown faces?

Most high schools hold a freshman orientation before school actually starts, which is helpful not only because you can know your way around the building and get to meet some of your teachers, but also because you get to meet fellow freshmen. That way, when you show up on your first day of school, you may already recognise a few familiar faces. When you talk to your new classmates, you'll probably find that a lot of them are feeling just like you are. They're all new to the school and don't know what to expect. Talking about a common concern with them can help you develop friendships.

The work in high school is something that freshmen are probably worried about. The work in high school builds on what you learnt in middle school, giving you a more advanced knowledge of many subjects. So you may find you have more work to do or that it's a bit more challenging. If you ever find your work too difficult, teachers can give you extra help.

High school also has more extracurricular activities than middle school does such as clubs, music and theatre groups and sports teams. This is a good time to explore your interests and try new things.

High school gives you the chance to learn how to manage your time, to develop your social skills and interests, and more importantly to be more independent and responsible.

1. What does the underlined word “orientation” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Training.	B．Game.
C．Discussion.	D．Examination.

2. What are freshmen probably worried about?

A．The learning task.	B．The ability to make friends.
C．The relationship with teachers.	D．The freshman orientation.

3. Extra-curricular activities mainly help students ________.

A．build up healthy bodies	B．develop friendships
C．develop the interests	D．improve their learning ability

4. Who is this passage written for?

A．Freshmen at high school.	B．Freshmen's parents.
C．Middle school students.	D．Upperclassmen in high school.

【推荐1】“The fact that the smoke reached São Paulo and blackened an afternoon proves how unusual the fires that burn in the countryside of Brazil are,” Ricardo Mello, head of the World Wide Fund for Nature's (WWF) Amazon program, said.

The latest figures come at a time of international protest against the inaction of President Jair Bolsonaro's administration. In July, Brazil's National Institute for Space Research (INPE) showed data to the public, which indicated that there had been a significant rise in deforestation (毁林) rates. Particularly, the figures showed that in July 2019, deforestation had increased nearly 300 percent in comparison to the same month in 2018.

Environmentalists are becoming increasingly concerned, accusing the government of encouraging deforestation and those who want to make use of the forest for commercial gain. During his time in power, Bolsonaro has moved to rob some power of government agencies that are responsible for protecting the rainforest as well as regulations covering native lands and nature reserves. Bolsonaro sees these kinds of regulations as a drag on economic growth in the Amazon region.

Fire in the Amazon is used as a technique to clear land for agriculture. “Farmers clear cut land to make way for agriculture, and then wait for the dry season to set fire to clear the land so they can plant，” Mello said. “It's likely that all of these forest fires are deliberately set by humans.”

Now it is the dry season in the Amazon, which means conditions in many parts of the rainforest are suitable for the fires to spread over large areas. “It is very unlikely that those fires break out naturally，” Mello said. “It is important to remember that 2019 is not a strong El Niño year. When we have strong El Niños, weather gets drier in the northern part of Brazil and this favors fires. This is not the case of 2019.”

1. Why are deforestation figures of 2018 and 2019 compared?

A．To share knowledge of the Amazon forest.

B．To show how the Brazil president governs.

C．To stress the seriousness of deforestation.

D．To express the anger of environmentalists.

2. What does President Bolsonaro do for deforestation?

A．Weakening relevant government agencies.

B．Encouraging the fight for commercial gain.

C．Using techniques to clear land for agriculture.

D．Defending regulations about nature reserves.

3. What are the weather conditions of the Amazon when the fires break out?

A．They're fit for fires to break out naturally.

B．The Amazon experiences the dry season.

C．They're possible for fires to spread everywhere.

D．The Amazon is just in a strong El Niño year.

4. What is the best title for the text?

A．Jair Bolsonaro's Administration Was Accused

B．Farmers Cleared Amazon Land for Agriculture

C．Unusual Rainforest Fires: Effects on Health and Weather

D．Amazon Fires: Possibly Linked to Environmental Policies

【推荐2】There is nothing like travel when it comes to gaining perspectives and exposing yourself to other cultures. Here is a list of books that transport readers to another time and place.

ITALY: Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

This book is written by the popular author Jess Walter. It is a love story that begins on the Italian Coast in the early 60s and eventually appears on the screen in Hollywood. As the settings shift from Italy to Edinburgh to Los Angeles, you will find yourself longing to go as well.

SEATTLE: Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Maria Semple’s first novel is not exactly a love story to Seattle, but if you read it, you just might want to come here to see if people are really as self-involved as the characters in her book. What really shines through is the strange storytelling and the laugh.

ENGLAND: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

You can’t travel to Thomas Cromwell’s England without a time machine, but reading Mantel’s prize-winning novel is the next best thing. It will make you long to see the ancient buildings and green grass of the English countryside, much of which is still there.

NANTUCKER: Here’s to Us Elin Hildebrand

Elin Hilderbrand has built a writing career about her hometown island of Nantucker. Her latest is Here’s to Us, which, perhaps not surprisingly, is a great beach read that will spice up your vacation. You won’t be able to put the page down and desire to get there.

1. Which book has been adapted for a film?

A．Here’s to Us.	B．Wolf Hall.
C．Beautiful Ruins.	D．Where’d You Go, Bernadette.

2. What is the special feature of Where’d You Go, Bernadette?

A．Its low price.	B．Its interesting characters.
C．Its content about love.	D．Its way of telling stories.

3. What does the book Wolf Hall inspire you to do?

A．Go to Seattle	B．Learn to love.
C．Appreciate the English countryside	D．Enjoy a beach read.

4. What can we infer about the books mentioned in the text?

A．They are all about love stories.

B．They inspire you to travel.

C．They show the joy and sadness

D．They help you to be self-involved.

5. We can most probably read the passage in a __________ .

A．tourism brochure	B．newspaper report
C．book review	D．fashion magazine

【推荐3】I was born with bad eyesight. At high school I couldn’t read the blackboard. By the time I got to the university of Bath to study Chemistry it had got to the point where I couldn’t really see images at all, only the difference between light and dark. And a few years later, once I was in the first year of my PhD, I was almost completely blind.

But climbing is my great passion. I started climbing when I was young. My dad taught me everything about climbing. When I was 11, I led my first climbing route outside. People are usually amazed when they discover that not only do I climb, but I also lead climbs.

At university I joined the Mountaineering Club and was able to climb much more frequently. We had regular trips to indoor walls and weekends away outdoors. I developed a great circle of climbing friends and went on several trips to Europe. After these I started Alpine climbing and ice climbing, too.

When my sight dropped to a level where I could no longer read, I thought I might have to give up leading. But I never thought I would stop climbing. I just learnt to adapt with the support of my friends.

People often ask me, “Why rock climbing? It doesn’t seem like a good activity for a blind person.”

But when I think about the danger, crossing the road is far more dangerous, and also, it’s something where I’m not in control.

It’s quite possible that I wouldn’t be such a good climber if I weren’t blind. If I didn’t have these challenges, it wouldn’t focus me. That determination is built through my disability.

When I reach the top of a climb, I don’t get to appreciate the view, but the feeling of achievement is extremely good.

Climbing is a way to prove my way of thinking in life — which is that I’m not disabled, I’ m blind and able.

1. When the author went to university, he         .

A．couldn’t read the blackboard	B．couldn’t figure out light and dark
C．nearly couldn’t see images	D．was almost blind

2. What did the author do when he couldn’t read?

A．He thought about quitting climbing.

B．He learnt to adapt with others’ help.

C．He continued leading climbs.

D．He went on several trips to Europe.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．The author started climbing at the age of 11.

B．The author began ice climbing when he got his PhD.

C．The author is afraid of crossing the road.

D．The author views blindness in a positive way.

4. Which can best express the main idea of this passage?

A．Nothing is impossible to a willing heart.

B．All things are difficult before they are easy.

C．Actions speak louder than words.

D．The eye is blind if the mind is absent.

【推荐1】A few minutes of looking into a deep red light could have a dramatic effect on preventing eyesight decline as we age, according to a newstudy published this week in the Journals of Gerontology.

“You don’t need to use it for very long to start getting a strong result.” said lead author Glen Jeffery, a professor of neuroscience at University College London’s Institute of Ophthalmology. The study was small, an experimental study to test the concept. Researchers recruited 12 men and 12 women, whose ages ranged from 28 to 72. Each participant was given a small handheld flashlight that emitted a red light with a wavelength of 670 nanometers. They spent three minutes each day looking into the light over a period of two weeks.

The lights work on both cones (视锥细胞) and rods (视杆细胞) in the eye. Cones are photo receptor cells that detect color and work best in well-lit situations. Rods, which are much more plentiful, are retina cells that specialize in helping us see in dim light, according to the American of Ophthalmology. Researchers measured the cone function in subjects’ eyes by having them identify colored letters with low contrast. And they measured their eyes’ rod sensitivity by asking them to detect light signals in the dark.

There was a 14% improvement in the ability to see colors, or cone color contrast sensitivity, for the entire two dozen participants. Improvement, however, was most significant in study participants over age 40. For those ages, cone color contrast sensitivity rose by 20% over the course of the study.

That age group also saw significant increases in rod threshold, that is the ability to see in low light. Study participants under 40 also experienced some improvement, but didn’t see the same jump as older subjects. Younger eyes haven’t declined as much as older eyes.

“The retina ages faster than any other organ in your body.” Jeffery said. “From an evolutionary viewpoint, they fundamentally have never lived past 40. Now, of course, we regularly live well beyond that age, and need ways to care for the organs that have been the most likely to wear out earliest in life. But more studies are needed to prove it helps.”

1. What do we know about the study?

A．24 old people took part in the test.

B．Each participant has good eyesight.

C．All the participants were tested for their eyes’ cone and rod sensitivity.

D．The participants were asked to detect light signal in well-lit situation.

2. What does the study led by Glen Jeffery find?

A．Cone sensitivity rose by 20% for those under 40.

B．Younger participants haven’t get any improvement.

C．Older eyes haven’t declined as much as younger eyes.

D．The participants over 40 have increases in the ability to see in the dark.

3. What does Jeffery mean in the last paragraph?

A．It’s easy to protect our organs.	B．He will carry out further research.
C．Our organs never last past 40 years.	D．The research has benefits many people.

4. What is the text mainly about?

A．Using a flashlight can improve people’s eyesight.

B．Looking into a red light can lead to good eyesight.

C．Declining eyesight can be improved by looking at a red light.

D．Light can raise eyes’ cone and rod sensitivity.

【推荐2】The Miao Sisters Festival is held every year in Guizhou's Taijiang County, where 97 percent of the 168,000 people there are from the ethnic （民族）Miao group. It is an ancient tradition, which brings men and women together through food, gifts and music.

In the days before the festival, young women gather leaves and wild flowers, which they use to dye （给•••染色）sticky rice with bright colors. This brightly colored rice, known as Sister Rice, gives the festival its name. During the festival, the young women dress in beautiful traditional clothes with large amounts of silver jewelry （首饰）.

The festival includes parades （游行）,horse races and musical performances. But the real focus is the interaction （互动）between the young women and the young men who visit from surrounding villages and sing songs. In one traditional type of song, a man and woman take turns singing to each other, and the first one to make a mistake loses the game. The loser must give the winner a gift, but the winner is expected to give a gift in return too.

After meeting the men, the women send them home with a bamboo basket containing dyed rice and hidden objects with special meanings. For example, a pair of chopsticks means she wants to marry the man, while garlic shows that she is not interested.

One of several stories about the festival’s beginning of a girl and a boy who fell in love. The girl's parents wanted her to marry her uncle's son» as was traditional at the time. She refused, and the boy likewise refused to marry anyone else. For a time, they could only meet in a field and pass hidden messages to each other through rice in a bamboo basket. Finally, the pair overcame their parents' opposition and were allowed to marry.

The Sister Rice Festival is perhaps the oldest festival in Asia that encourages love.

1. What is the purpose of young women collecting leaves and wild flowers?

A．To decorate their rooms.

B．To sell them and make money.

C．To give sticky rice different colors.

D．To cover some objects in a basket.

2. Which of the following is NOT the activity taking place in the festival?

A．Water skiing.	B．Horse races.
C．Parades.	D．Singing songs.

3. What can we learn from the passage?

A．A woman often loses the game.

B．A hidden pair of chopsticks suggests good things.

C．The winner need not send a gift.

D．Often a man needs to sing songs to a young woman.

4. The story in Paragraph 5 tells us that .

A．the boy's parents didn't like the girl

B．they were not married in the end

C．the boy refused to marry the girl at first

D．the rice in the bamboo basket carried their love

【推荐3】Americans like to travel on their yearly holiday. Today, more and more travelers in the United States are spending nights at small house or inns(客栈)instead of hotels. They get a room for the night and the breakfast the next morning.

Rooms for the night in private(私人的)homes with breakfast have been popular with travelers in Europe for many years. In the past five to ten years, these bed-and-breakfast places have become popular in the United States. Many of these America’s bed-and-breakfast inns have only a few rooms; others are much larger. Some inns do not provide telephones or televisions in the rooms, others do.

Staying at a bed-and-breakfast inn is much different from staying at a hotel. Usually the cost is much less. Staying at an inn is almost like visiting someone’s home. The owners are glad to tell about the areas and the interesting places to visit. Many vacationers say that they enjoy the chance to meet local families.

1. Americans take a holiday trip _________.

A．all the year round

B．for years

C．every year

D．every other year

2. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A．Some Americans like to stay at bed-and-breakfast homes instead of at hotels.

B．The bed-and-breakfast inns are private homes open to vacationers.

C．The bed-and-breakfast inn owners provide a morning meal for their visitors and a room for the night.

D．The bed-and-breakfast inns have been popular in America for a long time.

3. Staying at the bed-and-breakfast inns, _________.

A．the travelers needn’t pay anything

B．the travelers don’t have to pay for the telephone or television

C．the travelers can meet and talk with the local people

D．the owners will show the travelers around the area