Nathan Sawaya's childhood was a lot of fun. He drew cartoons, wrote stories, and played with plastic toy bricks (积木). His grandparents bought his first set of toy bricks when he was five years old and he's been building with toy bricks ever since. He even took his building bricks to college with him! Instead of books and a computer, he had a model of Greenwich Village made of bricks on his desk.

Nathan started as a lawyer but gave up His highly-paid (高薪的) job to become an artist that uses toys in his art. He uses toy bricks to build everything from the Statue of Liberty(自由女神像) to Superman! He has more than 1.5 million colored bricks in his working room in New York which he uses to make pieces of art. He started by building small models but then decided to do something big and created a self-portrait (自画像). It took him two days just to build the eyes.

Nathan's work has appeared in museums around the world. Children love his art because it is made out of the same toys that they play with at home and adults love his work because it is fascinating. Since it began in2007, Nathan's exhibition "The Art of the Brick" has been very popular with museum visitors everywhere.

"I'm proud that I took a dream I had as a child, to become an artist, and I have actually made a job out of it," says Nathan. "To do what you love in life is the most important thing."

1.What did Nathan put on his desk at college?

A．The Statue of Liberty.                    B．Superman.

C．His serf-portrait.                        D．A Greenwich Village modal.

2.Why did Nathan give up his job as a lawyer?

A．Because he made little money out of a lawyer.

B．Because he wanted to make toys for the children.

C．Because he decided to become an artist of toy bricks.

D．Because he was going to work in the museum instead.

3.What does the underlined word "it" in Paragraph 3 refer to?

A．Nathan's work.                         B．Nathan's exhibition.

C．Nathan's art.                           D．Nathan's self-portrait

4.What would be the best title for the passage?

A．The Brick Artist                         B．The Brick Exhibition

C．Toy Bricks for Adults                     D．The Artist's Childhood

 

完形填空

Once, in a small village, lived a family with eight children. Two of the children loved   1  very much, but the family was so poor that it was impossible to send   2   of them to study at the art college at the same time. After many discussions, the two boys finally   3   a plan. They would toss(抛) a coin. The loser would go  4 into the mines (煤矿) and, with his earnings(赚得的钱),   5  his brother studying at the college. Then, when the brother who won the toss finished his studies, after four years, he would support the other brother studying at the   6  

James won the toss and Jack went down into the mines. James worked with all his heart and his paintings were much   7  than those of most of his teachers, and by the time he   8  , he was beginning to make a lot of money for his paintings.

  9  James returned, the family held a big dinner for his great success. Soon after the meal began, James  10 up from his seat to drink a toast (举杯祝酒) to his dear   11    He said, "Jack, now you can go to the art college and your   12   will come true. I will take care of you. "

But Jack said   13  , "Brother, the four years in the mines has done too much to my hands, so it' s too   14   Now I can' t even hold a glass. "

To show his great love and respect, James drew his brother' s hands with   15  towards the sky.

He called his drawing "The Praying Hands", which became very famous years later.

1.                A．painting        B．books          C．school    D．money

 

2.                A．any            B．all             C．both D．neither

 

3.                A．looked out      B．worked out      C．took out  D．got out

 

4.                A．off            B．away           C．up   D．down

 

5.                A．support        B．agree          C．follow    D．let

 

6.                A．home          B．mine           C．college   D．school

 

7.                A．better          B．worse          C．cheaper  D．older

 

8.                A．arrived         B．graduated       C．walked   D．waited

 

9.                A．Before         B．When          C．Though   D．While

 

10.               A．picked         B．turned         C．looked    D．stood

 

11.               A．brother        B．sister          C．father D．mother

 

12.               A．way           B．idea           C．dream D．practice

 

13.               A．happily         B．surprisedly      C．angrily    D．softly

 

14.               A．early          B．late            C．good D．helpful

 

15.               A．legs           B．feet           C．arms  D．fingers

 

 

Dear Sir,

I am writing to you about my stay at your hotel.

My wife and I  1 on Saturday, 15^th, May and stayed   2 a week. Though we were treated __3 and found the service(服务) excellent, we  4 there are one or two matters we   5 bring your attention.

First, we had hoped for a nice  6 from our busy work lives, and your ad   7  "Comfortable and qui­et". We want to have a chance to enjoy ourselves. How­ever,  we were  8 to find that repairs are sometimes needed,  but is it  9 necessary to start early in the morning?

Second, we had hoped to  10 in your "wonderful pool". To our disappointment (失望)， we found that it was   11 for the whole time of our stay.

I   12 you do not mind me writing to you   13 these things,  but I would be happy  14__  you could give me some explanation(解释). As I  15__ at the start, it is a pity,  and your service is so well in other fields.

I hope to hear from you.

Mr. Hector Bradley

1.                A．left            B．arrived         C．went D．returned

 

2.                A．for            B．in             C．during    D．since

 

3.                A．bad            B．badly           C．good D．well

 

4.                A．learn          B．hear           C．think D．need

 

5.                A．should         B．can            C．may D．will

 

6.                A．stop           B．holiday         C．break    D．sleep

 

7.                A．told           B．imagined        C．refused   D．said

 

8.                A．surprised       B．happy          C．glad D．sad

 

9.                A．true           B．such           C．too  D．really

 

10.               A．drop           B．swim           C．live   D．drink

 

11.               A．open          B．closed         C．clean D．gone

 

12.               A．ask            B．want           C．need D．hope

 

13.               A．with           B．on            C．about D．at

 

14.               A．while          B．if             C．as    D．before

 

15.               A．told           B．put            C．said  D．noticed

 

 

Yesterday my brother __________to say "Happy Birthday" to me from Spain.

A. calls     B. called        C. is calling        D. was calling

 

John Thomas was a student, but he had been a famous champion(冠军). Everybody at Boston University liked this tall, quiet boy. Once he was hurt, everybody at Boston University was    . People all over the country    about John Thomas and often asked, "Will he ever jump again?"

     John's mother went to the hospital to see her son. She looked at his     leg. Then she looked into his     . She knew what her son would    . "You're going to jump again, John, I know it," she said."    will be all right."

    If John hoped to jump again, he would have a    to do. He began at once. Even in his hospital bed John started to exercise. He used a wheel(轮子) and other metal things. Soon his   looked like a machine shop!

It was May when John     the hospital. "Is it all right if I go camping this summer?" he asked the doctors.

"Yes," the doctors said. "But take it easy on that foot."

    John took only    walks at first. He was taking it easy on his foot. But not on anything else. He went swimming and did other kinds of exercises. He exercised      his body cried for a rest. Some days later, he exercised a little    . In late summer John went back to    . He asked if he could practise with the football team. Football wasn't his favorite, but he had to get that leg     again! He worked hard. "No one pushed him as hard as he pushed himself," said one of his friends. "To    a champion fighting back is a wonderful thing to watch."

1.A. sorry      B. scared           C. alone                   D. tired

2.A. thought    B. talked            C. heard                     D. moved

3.A. broken    B. lost                   C. missing             D. dead

4.A. face      B. foot             C. eyes              D. leg

5.A. make     B. use                     C. agree             D. do

6.A. Nothing   B. Anything           C. Something                D. Everything

7.A. little         B. lot                   C. few               D. bit

8.A. chair     B. classroom        C. home                    D. bed

9.A. reached   B. called           C. left               D. found

10.A. short    B. long             C. quick              D. fast

11.A. a. after   B. if                C. until              D. when

12.A. later    B. better             C. more             D. less

13.A. school   B. hospital          C. shop                 D. church

14.A. thick    B. strong           C. straight                      D. hard

15.A. look           B. hear               C. know                    D. see