1 . Adapted from Liang Xiaosheng’s award-winning novel, the realistic drama A Li felong Journey recently has been a huge hit on TV and online.
Given that A Lifelong Journey is set in the 1960s, it’s not surprising that the family has to deal with lots of social changes and uncertainties, like the restoration of Gaokao, the country’s reform and opening-up, the passion for private business and so on.
The five virtues in Confucianism—benevolence (仁), righteousness (义), courtesy(礼), wisdom and trust can be found in the lead character Zhou Bingkun, the youngest son in the family.
Following the lives of Zhou’s family, the drama gives viewers an insight into the lives of ordinary Chinese.
| A．No wonder viewers thought highly of this drama. |
| B．It is time to create such a drama to remember the bygone times. |
| C．China has witnessed dramatic changes over the past five decades. |
| D．And it explores themes of family, friendship and romance in a bittersweet story. |
| E．He was played by Lei Jiayin, who says he can almost “see his father” in the drama. |
| F．Disney has also announced it has acquired the drama series for an international release. |
| G．Most of the narrative took place in a shantytown (棚户区), where Zhou’s family lives. |
| A．He's a popular accountant. |
| B．He's a new media player. |
| C．He's a computer gamer. |
1. What might the speaker be best known as?
| A．A comedy actor. |
| B．A ceremony host. |
| C．A popular lecturer. |
| A．Only two. | B．Around 12. | C．At least 24. |
| A．Horror. | B．Action. | C．Fantasy. |
| A．Perform a comedy on the stage. |
| B．Announce the winner of an award. |
| C．Introduce another movie candidate. |
| A．A movie. | B．A football game. | C．A concert. |
Not long after Freddy and the band became famous, they visited Britain on a brief tour. Fans showed their devotion by waiting for hours to get tickets for their concerts. Freddy was now quite confident when he went into a concert hall. He enjoyed singing and all the congratulations afterwards! His most exciting invitation was to perform on a TV programme called Top of the Pops. He had to go to London, wear an expensive suit and give a performance to a TV camera. It felt very strange. But as soon as the programme was over, the telephones which were in the same room started ringing. Everybody was asking when they could see Freddy and his band again. They were truly stars.
Then things went wrong. Freddy and his band could not go out anywhere without being followed. Even when they wore sunglasses or beards, people recognized them. Fans found them even when they went into the toilet. They tried to hide in the reading rooms of libraries, but it was useless. Someone was always there! Their personal life was regularly discussed by people who did not know them but talked as if they were close friends. At last feeling very upset and sensitive, Freddy and his band realized that they must leave the country before it became too painful for them. So they left Britain, to which they were never to return.
1. What was the trouble the band had when they became famous?2. How would your life change if you became famous overnight? Discuss with your classmates.
6 . The ongoing coronavirus pandemic has changed not only our own lives, but the lives of those who live to entertain us.
Most US talk show hosts depend on having a live audience. Audiences laugh when hosts crack jokes (讲笑话), they cheer for guests or take part in activities with the host. But with social distancing, talk show hosts have to stay at home just like the rest of us.
I’m a big fan of talk show hosts like Jimmy Fallon, Conan O’Brien and Stephen Colbert. Without guests to interview and audiences to interact with, they’ve had to put new twists (改变) on their shows.
Other hosts choose to bring their families or other people on board for their shows. Host Jimmy Kimmel, for example, has made videos in which he plays with his children at home.
It is kind of heartwarming to see that even famous people have to struggle with the same problems we have while they’re stuck at home. But these hosts still do their best to entertain us.
| A．I have been feeling bored and trying to find something fun to do. |
| B．They have certainly cheered me up during my time stuck inside. |
| C．This, however, has made their shows interesting in a new way. |
| D．Some of them have been doing video chat interviews with pop stars. |
| E．One of the changes I’ve seen personally has been in TV talk shows. |
| F．Do you know what your favorite talk show hosts have done in quarantine? |
| G．He even surprised a food delivery driver with a pizza to thank him for his work. |
