Towner Writer Squad (班组) for kids aged 13-17
Led by comedy and TV writer, Marian Kilpatrick, Towner Writer Squad will meet once a month at the contemporary art museum for 11 months, starting 12 October, 2014.
The FREE squad sessions will include introductions to a wide range of writing styles, from poetry to play writing and lyrics (抒情诗）to flash fiction, to support the development of young writers.
Application & Selection
If you would like to apply to be part of the Towner Writer Squad, please send a sample piece of your writing (about 500 words), responding to the title ‘LUNCH,’ with your name, age, address and e-mail address to: debo@newwritingsouth. com.
Once all applications are in, you will be invited to an open selection event on 17 September, 4-5pm, at the gallery of Towner. This will be an informal opportunity to meet the Squad Leader, Squad Associate and other young people.
You will also have a chance to get to know the fantastic gallery space and get a taste of what’s to come.
Deadline for applications: 8 September, 2014
For further information go to: facebook. com/towner or towner. org. uk or newwritingsouth. com
Any questions 一 feel free to send your e-mail to Towner Writer Squad Associate: whame@towner. gov. uk
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Beginner Writing Project for kids aged 10-13
Due to popular demand, a writing project will be started for eager beginners.
Start time: 6 September, 2014
Meet every other Saturday, 2-4pm, at the Towner Study Centre.
Study and write at your own pace 一 you do not have to rush 一 as you have a year to go through the project. Practise under the guidance of some experienced writers and teachers who can help you with basic writing skills. Most importantly, build confidence and have fun while writing!
No previous experience or special background is required. Many others have been successful this way. If they can do it, why can’t you?
Fee: £179
For more information go to: newtowner. org. uk or generate. org. uk
1. Towner Writer Squad will be started _______.
| A．to train comedy and TV writers |
| B．to explore the fantastic gallery space |
| C．to introduce a contemporary art museum |
| D．to promote the development of young writers |
| A．provide a piece of their writing |
| B．meet the Writer Squad Leader |
| C．offer their family information |
| D．complete an application form |
| A．6 September, 2014 |
| B．8 September, 2014 |
| C．17 September, 2014 |
| D．12 October, 2014 |
| A．Practising as much as possible. |
| B．Gaining confidence and having fun. |
| C．Studying and writing at their own pace. |
| D．Learning skills from writers and teachers. |
| A．facebook.com/towner |
| B．newwritingsouth.com |
| C．newtowner.org.uk |
| D．towner.org.uk |
Yet, despite these benefits, many of us return home with a feeling that our last vacation was OK - but not great. In order to change this, some mistakes should be avoided. A classic one for vacation planners is attempting to maximize value for money by planning trips that have too many components (组成部分)• Perhaps you’re planning a trip to Europe, seven cities in 10 days，and you realize it will cost only a little more to add two more destinations to the list Sounds fine in theory, but hopping from one place to the next hardly gives an opportunity to experience what psychologists call mindfulness - time to take in our new surroundings, time to be present and absorb our travel experiences. Another mistake is that we worry too much about strategic issues such as how to find a good flight deal，how to get from A to B，or which destinations to add or subtract from our journey. These issues may seem important, but our psychological state of mind is far more important.
Actually, vacation happiness is based on the following top rules. First, choose your travel companions wisely, because nothing contributes more significantly to a trip than the right companions. Second，don’t spend your vacation time in a place where everything is too expensive so as to maintain a positive mood. Third, shop wisely, for meaningful experiences provide more long-term happiness than physical possessions.
Kids and Ponds
Years ago there was a group of kids who would hang around at some local ponds in the woods near their houses in Warwick, Rhode Island. In summer they caught frogs and fish. When winter arrived they couldn’t wait to go skating. Time passed, and the ponds became the only open space for the kids to enjoy themselves in that neighborhood.
One day, a thirteen-year-old boy from this group of kids read in the local newspaper that a developer wanted to fill in the ponds and build over a hundred small houses called condominiums. So the boy went door to door and gathered more than two hundred signatures to stop the development. A group of citizens met and decided to support him.
At the meeting of the town planning board, the boy was quite nervous at first and spoke very softly. But when he saw the faces of his friends and neighbors in the crowd and thought about what was happening to their favorite ponds，his voice grew louder. He told the town officials that they should speak for the citizens. He also insisted that they should leave enough space for children. A few days later，the developer stopped his plan.
Nine years later, when that teen was a senior in college, he was informed that the developer was back with his proposal to build condominiums. Now twenty-two years old, he was studying wetlands ecology. He again appeared before the town planning board. This time as an expert witness, he used environmental protection laws to explain restrictions on development in and around wetlands and the knowledge of wetlands ecology to help improve the development. Finally some condominiums were built, but less than half the number the developer wanted. The ponds where those kids used to hang around were protected by a strip of natural land，and are still there today.
1. What did the kids like to do at the local ponds in winter?(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________________
2. How did the boy win the citizens’ support?
(No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________________
3. What did the boy tell the town officials?
(No more than 16 words) (3 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________________
4. What helped the boy to protect the ponds successfully nine years later?
(No more than 12 words) (3 marks)
_______________________________________________________________________________
Dorothy taught in a school In Harlan County, Kentucky, Appalachian Mountain area. To get to her school from the town of Harlan, I followed a road winding around the mountain. In the eight-mile journey, I crossed the same railroad track five times, giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times. Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains, I found it depressing. The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school, all gloom(忧郁) disappeared. Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom. I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen. The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects. Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for “dinner” (lunch). In case you don’t know, poke greens are a weed-type plant that grows wild, especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students. Her enthusiasm never cooled down. When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification, Dorothy was ready. She came to the assessment and passed in all areas. Afterward, she invited me to the one-and-only steak house in the area to celebrate her victory, as if she had received her Ph. D. degree. After the meal, she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand. She said it was a family heirloom(传家宝), but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things. (360 words)
1. “Early Childhood Development” in Paragraph 1 refers to __________.
| A．a program directed by Dorothy |
| B．a course given by the author |
| C．an activity held by the students |
| D．an organization sponsored by Union college |
| A．the long track | B．the poor houses |
| C．the same train | D．the winding road |
| A．a warm welcome | B．the sight of poke greens |
| C．Dorothy’s latest projects | D．a big dinner made for her |
| A．She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant. |
| B．She got a pen as a gift from the author. |
| C．She passed the required assessment. |
| D．She received her Ph. D. degree. |
| A．Whatever you do, you must do it carefully. |
| B．Whoever you are, you deserve equal treatment. |
| C．However poor you are, you have the right to education, |
| D．Wherever you are, you can accomplish your achievement. |
The ball is made of
The One World Futbol needs no pump
Although it costs more to produce
“Let’s Talk”：The Free Advice Project
A few weeks ago, I took a walk around Washington Square Park. I met all the usual people：street performers, the Pigeon Guy, a group of guitarists singing in harmony. But off to the side, sitting on a bench was a woman doing something vastly different—giving free advice.
A week or two later, I set up an interview with her and we discussed her project at length.
Lisa Podell, 32, started the Free Advice Project this past May. It began as an experiment；she sat in Washington Square Park for a day with a sign that read “Free Advice” as a simple way to reach out to people. Podell was astonished at the strong response.
Podell admits that she was doubtful at first, but now she describes the project as mutually (相互地) beneficial. People learn from her—but she also learns from them. She says that the majority of those who come to her are dealing with some pretty heavy issues, and they expect her not only to listen, but also provide real answers.
Having worked as a full time teacher and now as an adolescent advisor, Podell believes that talking things out is an important in the decision-making process.
Sometimes, people walk around all day, keeping their problems in their own head and thinking about them in the same way. Podell simply strives to provide people with perspective.
I asked if there is a future plan for the Free Advice Project. Podell said she would like to promote it to each public space in New York, which would be carried out by various volunteers across the city.
It was truly inspiring to meet someone with such a big heart, especially in New York—where it is sometimes very hard to find anybody to listen. (303 words)
1. In what way was Podell different from other people in the park? (No more than 6 words) (2 marks)___________________________________________________________________________________
2. What do people in need expect Podell to do? (No more than 10 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. According to Podell, what should people do when making decisions?
(No more than 6 words) (2 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. How would Podell promote her project in New York? (No more than 15 words) (3 marks)
___________________________________________________________________________________
When Mary Moore began her high school in 1951, her mother told her, “Be sure and take a typing course so when this show business thing doesn’t work out, you'll have something to rely on.” Mary responded in typical teenage fashion. From that moment on, “the very last thing I ever thought about doing was taking a typing course,” she recalls.
The show business thing worked out, of course. In her career, Mary won many awards. Only recently, when she began to write Growing Up Again, did she regret ignoring her mom, “I don’t know how to use a computer,” she admits.
Unlike her 1995 autobiography, After All, her second book is less about life as an award-winning actress and more about living with diabetes (糖尿病). All the money from the book is intended for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF), an organization she serves as international chairman. “I felt there was a need for a book like this,” she says. “I didn’t want to lecture, but I wanted other diabetics to know that things get better when we’re self-controlled and do our part in managing the disease.”
But she hasn’t always practiced what she teaches. In her book, she describes that awful day, almost 40 years ago, when she received two pieces of life-changing news. First, she had lost the baby she was carrying, and second, tests showed that she had diabetes. In a childlike act, she left the hospital and treated herself to a box of doughnuts (甜甜圈). Years would pass before she realized she had to grow up-again—and take control of her diabetes, not let it control her. Only then did she kick her three-pack-a-day cigarette habit, overcome her addiction to alcohol, and begin to follow a balanced diet.
Although her disease has affected her eyesight and forced her to the sidelines of the dance floor, she refuses to fall into self-pity. “Everybody on earth can ask, 'why me?' about something or other,” she insists. “It doesn’t do any good. No one is immune (免疫的) to heartache, pain, and disappointments. Sometimes we can make things better by helping others. I’ve come to realize the importance of that as I’ve grown up this second time. I want to speak out and be as helpful as I can be.”
1. Why did Mary feel regretful?| A．She didn’t achieve her ambition. | B．She didn’t take care of her mother. |
| C．She didn’t complete her high school. | D．She didn’t follow her mother’s advice. |
| A．had two books published | B．received many career awards |
| C．knew how to use a computer | D．supported the JDRF by writing |
| A．living with diabetes | B．successful show business |
| C．service for an organization | D．remembrance of her mother |
| A．lost control of herself | B．began a balanced diet |
| C．tired to get a treatment | D．behaved in an adult way |
| A．Mary feels pity for herself. | B．Mary has recovered from her disease. |
| C．Mary wants to help others as much as possible. | D．Mary determines to go back to the dance floor. |
Directions: Read the following passage, Answer the questions according to the information given in the passage.
Secret Santas
On Christmas morning, Linda wakes up, and tries to imagine the wide-eyed surprise of children in another household as they unwrap the presents she carefully chose for them. Linda has never met the children, but that’s all part of the joy of giving as secret Santas, she says.
“It’s an amazing feeling to buy gifts on an anonymous (匿名的) basis,” says Linda.
“It brings a whole new meaning to the holidays.”
Linda and Tony are an American couple living in Toronto, Canada, and Linda did charitable work as a member of the American Women’s Club of Toronto. As the name suggests, members are U.S. citizens living in Toronto, who join together for fellowship and community service.
To find her “adopted” family, Linda goes to the local schools and requests a wish list for a family that’s struggling to survive. Last year she helped a single mother with three children. The mother works as a cleaning lady in a nursing home.
“The list is always heartbreaking. They have an opportunity to ask for anything and do just the opposite, asking for basic clothes or simple toys,” she says. “We always buy the kids a new winter coat, hats, and gloves.” She also buys gifts for the parents.
Last year Linda asked the mother for a second wish list — one that didn’t include the basics. “Every child should have a Christmas that sticks with them for a lifetime.” She purchased iPods for the two older children and a video game system for the youngest. “I have learned a very valuable lesson in all of this,” says Linda. “Pay attention to what’s going on in your own backyard — no matter where you live.”
The joy of giving as secret Santas is much sweeter when the gift is anonymous.
1. What reaction does Linda imagine the children will have?(No more than 5 words) (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
2. Why did Linda join the American Women’s Club of Toronto?
(No more than 10 words) (2 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
3. Why did Linda ask for a second wish list?
(No more than 15 words) (3 marks)
______________________________________________________________________________
4. What kind of people does “secret Santas” in the passage refer to?
(No more than 12 words) (3 marks)
An apprenticeship is a form of on-the-job training that combines workplace experience and classroom learning. It can last anywhere from one to six years, but four years is typical for most. An apprentice spends the majority of the time in a workplace environment learning the practical skills of a career from a journeyman--someone who has done the job for many years. The rest of the apprentice’s time is spent in a classroom environment learning the theoretical skills the career requires. Being an apprentice is a full-time undertaking.
One of the advantages of apprenticeship is that it does not cost apprentices anything. The companies that hire them pay for school. What’s more, it offers apprentices an “earn while you learn” opportunity. They usually start out at half the pay of a journeyman, and the pay increases gradually as they move further along in the job and studies. Near the end of the apprenticeship, their wages are usually 90 percent of what a journeyman would receive. Apprenticeship also pays off for employers. It can offer employers a pool of well-trained workers to draw from.
Despite the advantages, apprentices are usually required to work during the day and attend classes at night, which leaves little time for anything else. Sometimes, they might be laid off (下岗) if business for the employers is slow.
Once they have completed the apprenticeship and become journeymen, they receive a nationally recognized and portable certification and their pay also increases again. Some journeymen continue employment with the companies they apprenticed with; others go onto different companies or become self-employed contractors.
10 . My father was Chief engineer of a merchant ship, which was sunk in Word War II. The book Night of the U-boats told the story.
Memories
In September, 1940, my mother, sister and I went to Swansea, where my father’s ship was getting ready to sail. We brought him a family photograph to be kept with him at all times and keep him sale.
Then I remember my mother lying lace down, sobbing. She had heard from a friend that the ship had been sunk by a torpedo.
I can remember the arrival of the telegram, which in those days always brought had new. My grandmother opened it. It read, “Safe, Love Ted.”
My most vivid memory Is being woken and brought down to sit o my father’s knee, his arm in a bandage.
He was judged unfit to return to sea and took a shore job in Glasgow for the rest of the war. For as long as I can remember, he had a weak heart. Mother said it was caused by the torpedoes. He said it was because of the cigarettes. Whichever, he died suddenly in his early 50s.
Ten years later I read Night of the U-bouts and was able to complete the story.
Torpedo
One torpedo struck the ship. Father was in the engine room, where the third engineer was killed. He shut down the engines to slow the ship making it easier for it to be abandoned.
By the time he got on deck he was alone. Every lifeboat was gone except one which had stuck fast. When he tried to cut it free it swung against the ship, injuring his hand and arm. He had no choice but to jump — still with the photograph in his pocket.
Three days later, he and other survivors were safe in Glasgow. All 23 with him signed the back of the photograph.
In my room is the book and the photograph. Often, glass in hand, I have wondered how I would have dealt with an explosion, a sinking ship, a jump into a vast ocean rind a wait for rescue? Lest we forget, I have some more whisky and toast the heroes of the war.
1. We can infer that the mother and children went to Swansea ________.| A．to meet a friend | B．to see the father off |
| C．to take a family photo | D．to enjoy the sailing of the ship |
| A．he was still alive. | B．His knee was broken. |
| C．His ship had been sunk. | D．He had arrived in Glasgow. |
| A．weak heart | B．taking a shore job |
| C．failure to return to sea | D．injury caused by a torpedo |
| A．He lost his arm. | B．He repaired the engines. |
| C．He managed to take a lifeboat. | D．He was the last to leave the ship. |
| A．A group of forgotten heroes | B．A book describing a terrifying battle. |
| C．A ship engineer’s wartime experience. | D．A merchant’s memories of a sea rescue. |
