Bob was born in Cambridge. When he was in elementary school, he asked his mother to take him to parks in their community so he could collect empty soda cans to recycle. His mother agreed, as long as he saved part of the money he earned for college.
Bob’s mother remembers Bob as the most determined of her seven kids. Bob’s hard work paid off. On Friday, he will become the first person in his family, originally from El Salvador, to graduate from college. And he’s graduating with university honors.
For his honors thesis（毕业论文）he researched unmanned solar-powered（太阳能）airplanes, which BYU students have been building and testing for about 10 years. Bob’s study helps discover the best way to fly a solar-powered airplane so that it uses the least amount of power. The goal is to design and build an airplane that flies uncertainly. Bob’s thesis helps lay the basis for this work.
“My parents were always hard-working,” Bob said. “They often tell us hard work leads to success.” Bob’s father taught him to read at the age of 3, and his mother is now a student at Utah Valley University in a way to becoming a dentist.
Bob recognized he overcame some obstacles（障碍）to get where he is. For starters, English is his second language. He also faced stereotypes（模式化的形象）. Although Bob never doubted that he would be a college graduate, other people believed he wouldn’t because he didn’t come from a family of high income. There were other obstacles as well, but Bob viewed them all as opportunities.
Bob’s mother says she feels very happy and proud that her son is about to graduate with honors, and remembers the effort he’s made to get there. “He has worked very hard. He started something, and now he has finished it,” Cathy says. “I have always told him, ‘If this is your dream, then you can get it! Keep working hard and you can get it!’”
1. From the passage we can know that Bob’s honors thesis __________.| A．makes his mother feel surprised |
| B．helps to save the power of flying a solar-powered airplane |
| C．is done with BYU students |
| D．doubts the way of flying a solar-powered airplane |
| A．researched unmanned solar-powered airplanes for 10 years |
| B．paid for all his study by collecting empty soda cans |
| C．worked hard and has graduated from college |
| D．was affected by his family and has made some achievements |
| A．his parents had little money to support him |
| B．his teacher didn’t think he could graduate |
| C．he didn’t work hard on his study |
| D．he didn’t dare to face the obstacles for short of confidence |
| A．Bob’s mother is on the way to becoming a dentist |
| B．Bob’s mother works in their community |
| C．Bon’s father will graduate from Utah Valley University on Friday |
| D．Bob’s father learnt to read at the age of 3 |
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In-betweeners don’t get the glory, but without them cartoons would hop from one emotional peak to another, missing connective grace. Burny Mattinson (1935-2023) started his career at the Walt Disney Company in the mail room, and, even though he had no formal training in animation, he was given a swing at in-betweening just six months later.
His first big assignment was to in-between the wagging of a dog’s tail. Disney animation was famous for its silky elegance, owing in no small part to the skill of its in-betweeners, and, thanks to Mattinson, the tail practically glided from side to side.
Mattinson had wanted to be an animator ever since his mother had taken him to see” Pinocchio” at a theatre when he was six. In a bold move, Mattinson showed up at the Disney Studios gate with his portfolio (作品) as soon as he finished high school. The magical part of this story is that, instead of shooing him away, the security guard liked his drawings and called the head of personnel to take a look.
Thus, Mattinson became a messenger at Disney, beginning a career that would eventually make him the employee with the longest service at the company. He had joined the company at a golden moment. Listing the films that he worked on is a little like listing the entire output of the Walt Disney Company over the past six decades: Sleeping Beauty, “The Lion King,” and on and on.
Mattinson was, perhaps, one of the last of an almost extinct genotype - the happy company man, the lifer. He never had an employer besides Disney. When asked what Mattinson enjoyed doing outside of his life at Disney, his son said, “He just loved his work.”
1. What role do in-betweeners play in animation production?
| A．Design the storyline. | B．Draw the background. |
| C．Invent extreme actions. | D．Generate smooth motion. |
| A．Unconventional. | B．Typical. | C．Illegal. | D．Accidental. |
| A．His lifelong dedication to Disney. | B．His detailed work as an in-betweener. |
| C．His passion for animation beyond work. | D．His pioneering role in Disney animation. |
| A．A lifer in the Disney | B．In-betweeners’ role in animation |
| C．A bold move to Disney | D．A glorious career |
Mandle Currie, a zoo-keeper, spent the day in the offices of the magazine Marie Claire. ‘Choosing What to wear for my day at Marie Claire was tricky because normally I wear a uniform at work. first I went to a still-life photo studio, then to press previews, all before lunch. The zoo is such a tranquil, peaceful place—and here I was rushing around when I could be sitting quietly giving an animal a cuddle. Some of the members of the fashion team seemed quite stressed—my job doesn’t really get pressurised. At a fashion shoot in the afternoon, it made me laugh to think that I’d usually be cleaning out cages or handling rats. I’m fascinated to see how magazines work, but I really enjoy my job at the zoo so I’ll stay put.’ | Alice Cutler a fashion assistant at Marie Claire, spent the day at London zoo. ‘I arrived at the zoo in my leather boots and dark blue trousers. The zoo gave me a green T-shirt instead to work in, which was just as well as I got very dirty. While I was bathing one of the elephants, I thought Mandie would probably be packing up clothes in the cupboard. By five o'clock, I smelt terrible but Td had such a brilliant day when I retire from fashion, I could see myself working with elephants—but maybe in Africa.’ |
Karen Hodson, a nurse at Hammersmith Hospital, went on location with the television gardening programme Ground force. ‘I was extremely excited about meeting the team, and Alan Titchmarsh, the programme presenter, was really nice. One of the things I liked was the chance to be in the fresh air Depending on my shifts, I sometimes never see daylight. Even though it was hard work, it was great fun. I thought I was pretty strong but I felt weak compared with the rest of the team. My romantic vision of landscape gardening had not included physical hard work or careful planning. I was more an enthusiastic than effective gardener, so I don’t plan to give up my other job.’ | Charlie Dimmock, landscape gardener with the TV programme Ground Force, worked a shift at Hammersmith Hospital. ‘I made beds and handed out tablets. I expected to faint when I was doing some jobs, but I amazed myself by finding that it didn’t bother me. The friendship among the nurses is great, and it felt tremendously ‘girlie’ compared with my normal male environment. I feel my job is a real waste of time compared with nursing. My day at the hospital was not exactly pleasant but it left me with a great sense of satisfaction.’ |
1. The four people in the passage are talking about their experience of ________.
| A．taking up a career they never tried before |
| B．giving up their secure job for a new one |
| C．staying at a strange place for some time |
| D．living somebody else’s life for a day |
| A．Mandle Currie and Karen Hodson |
| B．Alice Cutler and Charlie Dimmock |
| C．Mandle Currie and Charlie Dimmock |
| D．Alice Cutler and Karen Hodson |
| A．Mandle Currie found her own job more stressful than the one she tried. |
| B．Karen Hodson expected there to be much hard work as a landscape gardener. |
| C．Alice Cutler disliked working in a zoo as she smelt terrible at the end of the day. |
| D．Charlie Dimmock thought being a nurse was more worthwhile than his own job. |
【推荐3】The Spanish sculptor Isaac Cordal sees the city as his playground.He specializes in miniature，a street art often representing a social commentary as a critical observation on capitalism，power and so on.
Cordal first models the sculptures in clay then reproduces them in cement(水泥)about 15cm in height.
“As a material，cement seems very symbolic because it is one of our most recognizable footprints against nature.”he says.“Today we have been too used to cement city habitat.”
For several years he’s been working on the project，Cement Eclipses，referring to the state when a building covers the sun:“It’s a critical reflection on the idea of progress.”
These tiny cement figures have appeared in cities across Europe，found sitting on top of bus shelters or drowning in the grass land of the big city.“The street became a perfect setting in which I could find enough landscapes for them.Due to their small size and color，they go really well into the urban environment.They even normally go unseen by passersby.I’m very interested in that moment of surprise when someone accidentally discovers them.”he says.
“Nowadays there is a fear of not being seen in the public area，so everything is always big and bold.We become a product of this and do not focus in as much.I think it is good to pay attention to small details.My work is a reward for those who do and it allows us to understand and change the world we have created in a different angle.”Cordal says.
1. Which of the following best explains“miniature”Underlined in paragraph 1 ?| A．Tiny sculpture. | B．Small playground. |
| C．Social comments. | D．Critical observation. |
| A．Indifferent. | B．Critical. |
| C．Neutral. | D．Supportive. |
| A．Everything big in public is attractive. |
| B．Being small may be a fear in public. |
| C．We need to focus on the details of the products. |
| D．His work helps us to see the world differently. |
| A．Cordal and his street art. | B．Ways to be a sculptor. |
| C．Materials used for sculptures. | D．Reflections on city progress. |
