New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.

Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ‘‘Whither Attribution Studies,’’ ‘‘Unpopular Shakespeare’’ and ‘‘Sex Me Here,’’ a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.

‘‘The national media is saying that fewer students’ taking Shakespeare,’’ Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ‘‘But Shakespeare is thriving.’’ The association’s membership has increased by a third since 1990.

The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow’s birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ‘‘The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition’’ runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ‘‘King Lear.’’

Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ‘‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’’ was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour ‘‘Hamlet.’’ The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.’’ Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.

Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?

A. To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only.

B. To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.

C. To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works.

D. To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays.

What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A. Washington D.C.                              B. Shakespeare Association.

C. The birthday anniversary.                  D. The Shakespeare business.

Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?

A. King Lear.                                            B. Hamlet.

C. Macbeth.                                              D. Romeo and Juliet.

What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?

A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.

B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.

C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.

D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.

Everyone has good days and bad days.

Sometimes, you feel as if you’re on top of the world. But occasionally you feel horrible, and you lose things and you cannot focus on your schoolwork.

  For more than 20 years, scientists have suggested that high self-esteem（自尊）is the key to success. Now, new research shows that focusing just on building self-esteem may not be helpful. In some cases, having high self-esteem can bring bad results if it makes you less likeable or more upset when you fail at something.

    “Forget about self-esteem,” says Jennifer Crocker, a psychologist（心理学家）at the University of Michigan, US. “It’s not the important thing.”

Feeling good

Crocker’s advice may sound a bit strange because it is good to feel good about yourself.

Studies show that people with high self-esteem are less likely to be depressed, anxious, shy, or lonely than those with low self-esteem.w(w w.ks&5 u.c*o m

But, after reviewing about 18,000 studies on self-esteem, Roy Baumeister, a psychologist at Florida State University, has found that building up your self-esteem will not necessarily make you a better person.

He believes that violent and wicked（邪恶的）people often have the highest self-esteem of all. He also said: “There’s no evidence that kids with high self-esteem do better in school.”

Problems

All types of people have problems. People with high self-esteem can have big egos（自我）that can make them less likeable to their peers（同龄人）,said Kathleen Vohs, a psychology professor at Columbia University.

People with high self-esteem tend to think more of themselves, Vohs says. People with low self-esteem are more likely to rely on their friends when they need help.

What to do

Researchers say it is best to listen to and support other people. Find positive ways to contribute to society. If you fail at something try to learn from the experience. “The best therapy（药方）is to recognize your faults,” Vohs says. “It’s OK to say, I’m not so good at that, and then move on.”

It is concluded in the research that high self-esteem_________.

A. is not important at all

B. has taken on a different meaning

C. may not be the key to success

D. does not help you do better at schoolw(w w.ks&5 u.c*o m

According to the research, people with high self-esteem_________.

A. have better relationship with people of their own age

B. are more likely to become violent and wicked

C. tend to be proud and do not care much about others

D. often feel depressed and can’t focus on their work

The advice in the last paragraph is mainly for people___________.

A. with high self-esteem                      B. with low self-esteem

C. who are still at school                      D. who are good at everything

New York Times---( DINITIA SMITH )Tomorrow is the 433d anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. A recent survey shows that more people are watching him, reading him and studying him than ever before.

Consider the recent yearly conference of the Shakespeare Association of America in Washington, where more than 600 people who study or admire Shakespeare from 18 countries took in topics like ‘‘Whither Attribution Studies,’’ ‘‘Unpopular Shakespeare’’ and ‘‘Sex Me Here,’’ a talk on breast-feeding and Lady Macbeth.

‘‘The national media is saying that fewer students’ taking Shakespeare,’’ Barbara Mowat, the editor of The Shakespeare Quarterly, observed in a speech at the conference. ‘‘But Shakespeare is thriving.’’ The association’s membership has increased by a third since 1990.

The Shakespeare business is so good these days that W. W. Norton is introducing a huge new collections of the plays into the already crowded field just in time for tomorrow’s birthday anniversary. Priced at $44.95, ‘‘The Norton Shakespeare: Based on the Oxford Edition’’ runs for 3,420 pages, offering introductions, illustrations and notes and three versions(版本) of ‘‘King Lear.’’

Today, movies and videos have made the plays even more accessible. Last year, ‘‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet’’ was No. 1 at the box office when it opened, and it grossed nearly $50 million. In New York in January, crowds lined up in the freezing cold to see Kenneth Branagh’s four-hour ‘‘Hamlet.’’ The students select a scene and then have a violent discussion about it.’’ Influenced by films, professors are increasingly teaching students by having them perform the plays.

1.Why people from 18 countries came to Washington this year?

A. To celebrate Shakespeare’s 433d birth day only.

B. To watch some plays by Shakespeare as planned.

C. To celebrate Shakespeare’s birthday and study his works.

D. To discuss how to teach students using Shakespeare’s plays.

2.What does the underlined word “ field” in the fourth paragraph refer to?

A. Washington D.C.                              B. Shakespeare Association.

C. The birthday anniversary.                  D. The Shakespeare business.

3.Which of the many plays by Shakespeare was most popular the year before?

A. King Lear.                                            B. Hamlet.

C. Macbeth.                                              D. Romeo and Juliet.

4.What does the author want to prove by using so many examples about Shakespeare?

A. More and more people are becoming interested in Shakespeare.

B. Shakespeare business is being run well in America nowadays.

C. Plays by Shakespeare can be used at school for more studies.

D. Shakespeare belongs not only to Britain but also to the USA.

 

阅读下面短文，根据以下要求：1）汉语提示；2）首字母提示；3）语境提示，在每个空格内填入一个适当的英语单词，所填单词要求意义准确、拼写正确。

注意：原行没有错的不要改。

Volunteering not only has a meaningful and positive effect on your

1.neighborhood but also can have many          (益处) to you. First, whether

2.you help c      the rooms for the old, do something for the disabled,

3.        teach the children to sing, you’ll gain some valuable skills and

4.experience. Then by        (使用) them you can make your study or

5.your future job better. Volunteering b      together a variety of people

6.from different backgrounds. You’ll be exposed         a new environment.

7.And maybe you’ll learn w      you can’t learn at school. It can also help

8.you reward the society, break down barriers of         (误解), and even

9.have fun. B       , it is a good way for us students to learn and

10.communicate with others, and it is        great importance to our society.

 

短文填词 （共10小题，每空1分，满分10分）

I’m writing to tell you my imagination about life in the future.

No one can tell exactly what kind of life will be a__________ of                    

1. ___________

us. But I can ____________ (宣布) with certainty that life will                               

2. ___________

be m___________ easier. I’m sure there will be more educational                         

3.___________

programs on the radio or TV. So children will get _____________                           

4.___________

at home w_____________ going to school every day. Besides, most                     

5.___________

of us will have videophones at home through __________ we can                         

6.___________

have a medical exam or do some _________ (购物) at home. Meanwhile,         

7.___________

we’ll have robots to _______ (帮助) us in doing housework, allowing                   

8. ___________

us more time to enjoy life. With the development of ___________ (科学)            

9. ___________

researches, ordinary people may soon be able to spend their holidays         

in space and a great __________ of people may live in space or undersea.         

10.__________