Have you heard of the BBC series Who Do You Think You Are? In one programme in the series, model Jodie Kidd learns that she is the great-granddaughter of the newspaper owner Lord Beaverbrook, who was a politician during both world wars. Jodie also discovers that her great-grandfather on her mother’s side of the family built ships during World War I and received letters from the King of England and Winston Churchill. And on the subject of kings, Olympic athlete Matthew Pinsent finds that he is related to Edward I, one of the most famous kings in British history.
Davina McCall, presenter of Big Brother, knows her mother’s side of the family is from France. She goes to Paris and finds out that her great-grandfather, Celestin Hennion, was famous throughout France as head of the French police. He once received a medal from King George V for organising security for the king’s trip to France in 1914.
However, Jerry Springer learns that his parents escaped from Nazi Germany three days before the start of World War II but other family members died in the war. And actress Kim Cattrall discovers that her grandfather, from Liverpool, the UK, left his family including three young daughters. He didn’t go far. Forty miles down the road in Manchester, he started another family.
Finally, Nigella Lawson, a famous cook whose father was a British politician, discovers that her grandfather was a thief from the Netherlands. After being sentenced to prison, he escaped to England, which is how the Lawsons ended up in London.
1. Which of the following persons makes a living by playing sports?| A．Jodie Kidd. | B．Lord Beaverbrook. | C．Matthew Pinsent. | D．Davina McCall. |
| A．Come on! Try again! | B．I am sorry to hear that. |
| C．Why are you late again? | D．Thanks! You did a good job. |
| A．were told that their parents died in a war | B．learned something about their grandfathers |
| C．are very popular actresses | D．live in the Netherlands |
| A．deals with family histories | B．talks about the life of famous stars |
| C．helps people improve themselves | D．shows you how to succeed |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Genealogy (the study of family history) is a popular hobby in the US and around the world. Finding out about your close relatives as well as your ancestors can help you learn more about your cultural background.
Make a family tree.
One fun way to begin is by making a family tree.
Plan a family reunion.
Last names, also called surnames, are one way families maybe linked across generations. When you look at your family tree, you may see a few common last names. These surnames can give you clues about your family’s history. Some last names are related to jobs people may have held (for example, the name Smith was originally used by blacksmiths), while others might be related to where a family lived. You can find out more about surnames on lots of websites.
| A．Research names. |
| B．Explore where your family once lived. |
| C．This is a chart that lists people you’re related to. |
| D．Learning more about your relatives’ past can be fun and rewarding. |
| E．Keep adding names as far back as you or your relatives can remember. |
| F．You can also feel closer to your family, and strengthen your sense of identity. |
| G．One of the best ways to celebrate your family history is to get together with your relatives. |
Eat your vegetables. Wash your hands. Always say "please" and "thank you". We are full of advice for our children.
Here are some basics that will help guide them their entire lives:
Show them the future. If your 13-year-old girl were to save $1,000, invest it at 8% and add $100 every month, by the time she's 65, she would have $980,983!
Be careful of credit. Credit cards can help you buy necessary things and build a credit history, but they must be used responsibly.
Explain your values.
| A．Every time you spend or don't spend money, you have a chance to share your values. |
| B．Provide encouragement. |
| C．That means paying off your debt in time. |
| D．Teach patience. |
| E．Values and money interact. |
| F．But when it comes to money, we often have little to say. |
| G．Tell your children the importance of saving. |
【推荐3】Siblings refer to one’s brothers and sisters. We’re attached to siblings as adults far longer than we are as children. Our sibling relationships, in fact, are the longest-lasting family ties we have.
“Paul, my younger brother, and I, kind of annoyed each other when we were kids,” said Anna, an interviewee,“But as adults, we’ve always had each other’s back, especially when dealing with our mother’s health crisis. Paul is the first person I want to talk to when something worries me.”
There’s probably a biological explanation for the close bond of the sibling relationship. Siblings share half their genes, which biologists say should be motivation enough for each other’s devotion.
One thing that can weaken closeness in adulthood is a parent who played favorites in childhood; this sense of hatred can last a lifetime. The simple concept of parental favoritism was enough to shake their relationship.
“What Paul and I are pretty sure is our parents treated us the same when we were growing up. Yet we’re very different people,” Anna said,“Paul is outgoing while I’m shy. Paul is an amateur pianist while I can’t read music or carry a tune. In families with more than one child, every sibling seems to get a label in contrast to every other sibling.”
The very presence of siblings in the household can be an education. When a new baby is born, the older sibling gains social skills by interacting with the younger, and the younger gains cognitively（认知角度地）by imitating the older. They learn from the friction between them, too, as they fight for their parents’attention. Mild conflict between brothers and sisters teaches them how to interact with friends and co-workers for the rest of their lives.
It’s so sad when things between siblings fall apart, which happens when aging parents need care or die — old feelings of contradiction and jealousy erupt all over again. Many families get through their parents’illnesses just fine, establishing networks where the workload is divided pretty much equally. But about 40 percent of the time there is a single primary caregiver who feels like she is not getting any help from her brothers and sisters, which can lead to serious conflicts.
Throughout adulthood, the sibling relationship “is powerful and unchanged,” said Jane Mersky Leder, author of the new e-book The Sibling Connection. Whether we are close to our siblings or distant, she writes, they remain our brothers and sisters — for better or for worse.
So remember the immortal（永恒的）words of folksinger Loudon Wainwright Ⅲ, in a song called Thanksgiving.“On this brilliant occasion, this special family dinner, if I argue with a loved one, please make me...”
1. What can probably encourage hatred among siblings?| A．The aging of their Mom and Dad. | B．The difference between their hobbies. |
| C．The conflict in their daily lives. | D．The unequal treatment from their parents. |
| A．they have common interest | B．their parents force them to |
| C．there exists a genetic factor | D．their parents require them to be |
| A．mild conflict | B．close relationship |
| C．active interaction | D．cognitive imitation |
| A．employ an experienced caregiver | B．take on reasonable burdens |
| C．equally divide the fortune | D．send them straight to hospital |
| A．it’s disappointing to quarrel with siblings |
| B．it’s grateful to have brothers or sisters in life |
| C．Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful occasion |
| D．Thanksgiving Day is a time for brothers or sisters to get together |
【推荐1】What comes into your mind when you think of British food? Probably fish and chips, or a Sunday dinner of meat and two vegetables. But is British food really so uninteresting? Even though Britain has a reputation for less-than-impressive cuisine, it is producing more top class chefs who appear frequently on our television screens and whose recipe books frequently top the best seller lists.
It’s thanks to these TV chefs rather than any advertising campaign that Britons are turning away from meat-and-two-veg and ready-made meals and becoming more adventurous in their cooking habits. It is recently reported that the number of those sticking to a traditional diet is slowly declining and around half of Britain’s consumers would like to change or improve their cooking in some way. There has been a rise in the number of students applying for food courses at UK universities and colleges. It seems that TV programmes have helped change what people think about cooking.
According to a new study from market analysts, 1 in 5 Britons say that watching cookery programmes on TV has encouraged them to try different food. Almost one third say they now use a wider variety of ingredients than they used to, and just under 1 in 4 say they now buy better quality ingredients than before. One in four adults say that TV chefs have made them much more confident about expanding their cookery knowledge and skills, and young people are also getting more interested in cooking. The UK’s obsession (痴迷) with food is reflected through television scheduling. Cookery shows and documentaries about food are broadcast more often than before. With an increasing number of male chefs on TV, it’s no longer “uncool” for boys to like cooking.
1. What do people usually think of British food?| A．It is rich in nutrition. | B．It is simple and plain. |
| C．It lacks authentic tastes. | D．It deserves a high reputation. |
| A．Interesting. | B．Creative. | C．Influential. | D．Profitable. |
| A．20%. | B．24%. | C．25%. | D．33%. |
| A．Studies of big eaters. | B．Table manners in the UK. |
| C．Male chefs on TV programmes. | D．The art of cooking in other countries. |
【推荐2】Social distancing is hard on everyone, but it’s especially difficult for retirees in senior living communities, where feelings of isolation are a problem even in the best of times. With no way to see each other or visit family members, the residents find it impossible to feel connected.
This year is even worse for them. While many seniors have been forced to wait out during the COVID-19 outbreaks in isolation, these retirees have managed to find connection and comfort through the airwaves (电波).
Radio Recliner is an online radio station that is hosted by elderly DJs from assisted living communities across the United States. The project was launched by marketing firm Luckie back in April as a means of keeping lonely seniors entertained and optimistic during the pandemic (流行病).
The company only planned on airing new 60-minute shows every day for one month, but since the station garnered more and more listeners, Radio Recliner has also attracted a team of 18 senior DJs to continue recording new shows.
In addition to the new shows being aired every day at noon, the station now streams a continuous loop of old content to keep its fan base entertained. On the Radio Recliner website, listeners can also submit song requests and ask the hosts to broadcast audio messages and shout outs to friends and family members.
“For this generation, radio was the original social media,” Luckie chief creative officer Mitch Bennett told The Tennessean. “Offering a song to someone you love, and having them hear it along with everyone else, may be a special way of connecting. It’s a great time to bring that feeling back.”
1. How do the retirees keep in contact during the pandemic?| A．By turning to a special radio station. |
| B．By playing with their family members. |
| C．By connecting with their friends online. |
| D．By talking to their friends on the telephone. |
| A．Consulted. | B．Gained. |
| C．Confirmed. | D．Acknowledged. |
| A．To inform listeners. | B．To entertain seniors. |
| C．To enlarge its fan base. | D．To educate old learners. |
| A．Its programs were funny. |
| B．It brought in many profits. |
| C．Its working mode worked well. |
| D．It helped seniors make more friends. |
| The Brady Bunch Starring: Robert Reed. Florence Henderson, Ann B. Davis Main plot : The union of Mike Brady and his three boys with Carol Martin and her three girls — with the addition of housekeeper Alice, of course — results in a typical ordinary American family. Why it is good: It shows that while life in a big family isn’t always easy, it’s always full of love. |
| The Wonder Years Starring: Fred Savage, Dan Lauria, Daniel Stern Main plot: Kevin Arnold remembers his journey from adolescence(青春期) to adulthood through the late 1960s and early 1970s. Why it is good : The show takes place during a period of social turbulence(动荡), a wonderful background for the transition(过渡) into adulthood. |
| Gilmore Girls Starring: Lauren Graham, Alexis Bledel, Keiko Agena Main plot: This girly series follows single mother Lorelai GilrAore and her super bright daughter Rory from high school through college — with a lot of stops for coffee on the way. Why it is good: No one is more humorous than Lorelai and Rory. |
| Modern Family Starring: Ed O’Neill, Sofia Vergara, Julie Bowen Main plot: Now in its sixth season, this family TV show follows three very different branches of one big family as they face life’s difficulties — in their own unique ways. Why it is good: It includes many different types of Americans’ lives. |
1. What is The Brady Bunch mainly about?
| A．A big American family’s life. |
| B．A housekeeper’s struggle. |
| C．A new American family’s life. |
| D．how two families unites . |
| A．some big events in the world’s history |
| B．the life of an old man in the late 1960s |
| C．people’s lives in the late 1960s and early 1970s |
| D．a boy’s transition into adulthood in modern America |
| A．The Brady Bunch. | B．The Wonder Years. |
| C．Gilmore Girls. | D．Modern Family. |
【推荐1】I took a journey to New York,US several months ago.It was the first time I had been abroad.It was also the first time I had taken a trip by myself.I had great enthusiasm and high hopes,and I wasn't let down.
It’s hard to describe how I felt when I arrived at the airport in New York.Looking at people of different races and nationalities passing by and hearing different languages all around me,I couldn’t say anything for a long time.I had never understood the cultural diversity of the US so clearly and closely before.
The following days were even more impressive.We integrated（融入）into the forest of concrete and cement（混凝土和水泥）.We waved to the Statue of Liberty;we looked down at the busy island of Manhattan;we looked at well-known universities—Harvard of ancient Egypt.
Then we visited some well-known university—Harvard,Yale,Princeton and Columbia—each with its own appealing and time-honored history.But what all these universities have in common is their peaceful academic atmospheres witch you could feel everywhere.I was impressed by the libraries,decorated just like cathedrals（教堂）, and the laboratories just next to the classroom.My dream is to return to those places as an international student.
Finally came our destinations—the Model United Nations conference at the University of Chicago.Students from various countries arrived to act as United Nations delegations and share their opinions about global issues.
As a non-native speaker,I felt that competing against native speakers was a very tough task.But it was also a rare change to improve my English and I couldn’t throw it away.With perseverance and devotion.I got used to talking to other delegations naturally.Although I didn't win any awards,the chairman praised me at the closing ceremony for my excellent performance.That made me feel really proud.
This trip brought me unforgettable and valuable experiences that will benefit me forever.
1. What is the main purpose of the author's going to America?| A．To see some places of interest. | B．To visit some well-known universities. |
| C．To attend a competition at a university. | D．To learn about the cultural diversity there. |
| A．Regretful. | B．Amazed. | C．Peaceful. | D．Confident. |
| A．To work for the United Nations. | B．To tour more countries in the world. |
| C．To have a job in the United States. | D．To study in the famous universities in America. |
| A．He won an award in the competition. | B．He was praised by the chairman. |
| C．He could persuade others to accept his opinions. | D．He could speak English well at the conference. |
【推荐2】Thirty-four years after graduating from high school, I found myself sitting with some of my former classmates for an all-school reunion.
Our conversation centered around funny things and what our classmates were up to now. Eventually, the conversation came to a classmate, Janelle. Jill said, “Has anyone been in touch with Janelle?” Diana said, “I tried to contact her for our last reunion. She never responded.” Jill said, “I’ve always felt bad about how she was treated.” There was a general murmur of agreement around the table.
It had started in elementary school when Danny, a popular kid who was always looking to be the center of attention, caught a glimpse of Janelle picking her nose. Unaware that she was being watched, she slipped her finger into her mouth. Immediately, Danny pointed at Janelle and exclaimed, “She ate her boogers (鼻屎)! THAT is SO disgusting.” The boys had a “grossed out”(恶心的) look on their faces and the taunt (嘲弄) was repeated by every boy. By the end of the next day, everyone in our class had known Janelle’s new nickname — “booger eater” and called it at least once. Reluctant to join in, somehow we did it anyway.
“Janelle never did anything. She just looked sad. Unfortunately, no one else did anything either. I wish any one of us had stood up for her,” said Jill. Everyone around the table agreed.
Each of us shared a time when we were reminded of Janelle over the years. Jill shared how her own daughter was bullied in school. Diana shared how her son came home from school and told her about his classmate being bullied, and they talked about how he could stand up for the child being bullied. I shared how we taught acceptance and kindness in my school. Several of us had tears in our eyes as we talked. We all regretted the part we played in the bullying.
When it was time to leave, Diana said, “I want to believe that, even though we cannot make amends (补偿) directly to Janelle, we can at least forgive ourselves. Let’s make an agreement going forward to do small acts of kindness in Janelle’s honor. We hugged each other tightly with damp eyes and agreed. I said, “I’m glad something good came out of that negative experience that happened so long ago.” Although forgiveness didn’t occur the way we wanted it to —with Janelle— forgiving ourselves feels good. We can’t change the past, but we can forgive and move forward.
1. Why did Jill feel bad about how Janelle was treated?| A．Jill was a close friend of Janelle’s. |
| B．Jill unwillingly called Janelle “booger eater”. |
| C．Jill regretted not standing up for Janelle. |
| D．Jill was the one who started the nickname. |
| A．They vowed to change the past. |
| B．They decided to contact Janelle again. |
| C．They determined to be kind to others. |
| D．They apologized to Janelle for their behavior. |
| A．Forgiving others is forgiving ourselves. |
| B．Demonstrating regret is of great importance. |
| C．Reunion with classmates helps reflect ourselves. |
| D．We should learn from the past and strive to be better. |
| A．No Bullying | B．Behaving Ourselves |
| C．Seeking Forgiveness | D．Bidding Farewell to the Past |
【推荐3】During the outbreak of Coronavirus, people have got creative with ways to get everyday tasks done. Maria Botero, a resident and business owner in Medellín, Colombia is one of those creative thinkers who has a new system in place to go about addressing her day to day workload. Owner of a local mini-market called El Porvenir, Botero has sought the help of her dog, Eros, to complete deliveries to some of their regular customers.
Eros, an eight-year-old dog, has been with the Botero family for several years now. Before she met Eros, Maria was uncertain to get a dog. However, her son’s repeated demands finally persuaded her to make up her mind. They welcomed Eros into their lives, and he’s been part of the family ever since.
When they opened their mini-market four years ago, the Boteros would bring Eros along for their daily deliveries. Thanks to a big brain and lots of treats, Eros gradually learned the names of some of their regular customers. When told someone’s name that he’s familiar with, he’s able to make his way to the person’s home alone. When the COVID-19 pandemic got bad in Colombia and the government began restricting citizens’ ability to go out and buy groceries freely, Maria knew it was time to put Eros’ skills to good use.
Climbing the hilly neighborhood of Tulipanes with the handle of a basket held tightly in his mouth, Eros completes deliveries on a daily basis. Once he arrives at his destination, the customers know that tipping in the form of treats and lots of pats is a must. He’s such a good boy, after all! Inside the basket, Maria leaves a receipt(收据) for the goods delivered. Customers can pay via a simple online transfer.
1. Why did Maria accept Eros?| A．She wanted to satisfy her son. | B．She was a pet lover. |
| C．She tried to turn to him for help. | D．She needed his company. |
| A．He welcomes familiar customers. |
| B．He delivers goods to regular customers. |
| C．He collects receipts from the new customers. |
| D．He pleases customers with some new skills. |
| A．He was ever a pet of a customer’s. |
| B．He carried shopping baskets for Maria before. |
| C．He used to follow Maria around the neighborhood. |
| D．He usually went to people’s homes for treats alone. |
| A．They often put tips inside Eros’ basket. |
| B．They often introduce their pets to Eros. |
| C．They pay the goods directly for Eros’ service. |
| D．They show their love and satisfaction to Eros. |
