A. Zeitoun B. I just Forgot C. Get It to Work D. Natural Disasters
23. Who edits the articles from the paper?
A. Mercer Mayer. B. Dave Eggers. C. Nicholas Wade. D. Robert Goodman.
B
Some artists are inspired by paints, and others by photography. For Rachel Hedges, the owner and creator of Bebito handmade toys, it was a green Electro-Grand De Luxe sewing machine.
After graduating from college as a music major, which Rachel jokingly admits wasn’t exactly “a fast track to steady income”, she wasn’t sure of what her next move would be. But whatever her plans were, Rachel knew they would be connected with creativity. So when she received the old sewing machine from a friend’s mother, she began to create. Reusing fabrics (衣料), she let toys from her imagination form under her fingertips.
Throughout her six years as a crafter (手工艺者), Rachel has continued to make these strange creatures and has stayed true to her belief in reusing and recycling. So most of her adorable toys are made from found materials. Some of the materials are known as “guilt fabrics”. Parts of these good-intentioned cloths become Dolores, one of Rachel’s first and favorite creations. Rachel and her friends have developed a story about this doll, and one day Rachel hopes to share Dolores’ story with her fans in the pages of a coloring book or children’s story.
Fabrics for Sweater Kitty are some of Rachel’s favorite materials because of the stories people share with her when they give up their sweaters. However, not all of the fabrics are donated.
When Rachel began making and creating, it was high time for crafts. She joined the then-97 people on Etsy, an online community of small business owners and crafters. Seeing her ne-found art praised by her community and with her success on Etsy, Rachel found encouragement. “And it just snowballed,” she says. “In the next two to three years, crafting will grow rapidly.”
24. Shortly after Rachel Hedges graduated from college, she _____.
A. got a satisfying job B. had a steady income C. worked on sewing machines
D. found no promising work for herself
25. What does Rachel Hedges mainly use to make toys?
A. The wasted materials. C. The newly-invented fabrics
B. The expensive materials.
D. The newly-bought fabrics.
26. It can be inferred from the text that Rachel Hedges was _____. A. humorous B. generous
C. patient
D. imaginative
27. What is the future of Rachel’s new-found art according to the text? A. It is hard to develop. B. It needs a lot of donations C. It will face a promising market
D. It has to solve many kinds of difficulties.
C
Why did the little boy throw butter out of the window? He wanted to see the butterfly! Ok… that’s an old joke you’ve probably heard many times. But who doesn’t like to see butterflies? Butterflies always fascinate children, because of the unexpected transformation they go through during their life cycle. It’s simply unusual that those surprising caterpillars can change into beautiful butterflies.
One particular butterfly species --- the Monarch butterfly--- travel great distances every year during its annual move. Summer in North America is usually nice and warm, but Monarch butterflies can’t survive the cold winters of most parts of the United States. Each year around October (or earlier if it turns cold earlier), Monarch butterflies move south and west to find warmer weather, like Mexico or California.
Most insects do not migrate, because their lifespan are not long enough. Only Monarch butterflies born in September and October survive long enough to do that. The butterflies that travel to Mexico and California have children --- and sometimes grandchildren--- that then make the return trip in the spring.
28. We can learn from the first paragraph that _____.
A. little boy like throwing butter out outside
C. butterflies attract children very much butterflies
29. Butterflies move to California probably because ____. A. it is very hot in the west
B. they enjoy flying here and there
D. children are troubled by B. there are many butterflies
C. it is warm in North America D. the weather is fairly mild there 30. Which of the following is true of Monarch butterflies? A. They will probably die in the south.
B. They will come back to the north the next month. C. They fly to the south and back in the same year. D. It usually takes them half a year to fly to the south. 31. The author writes this passage in order to tell us _____. A. the lifespan of Monarch butterflies B. Monarch butterflies’ migration C. the beauty of Monarch butterflies
D. the differences between butterflies and other insects
D
Picking up a book to read can be a fantastic form of entertainment. Reading is a wonderful way to escape the real world, and a cheap way to forget about your troubles. Books can be funny, moving, interesting, exciting or inspiring. Generally, entire floors of bookshops are filled with books on all subjects: history, music, film and anything you can imagine. However, in Colombia, it seems that very few people read for pleasure on a regular basis.
Actually, there is a strong literary tradition. Colombia has many well-known author who have written---and continue to create --- many wonderful and compelling stories. On the international level, Colombia also enjoys an excellent reputation: the books and short stories written by the country’s very own Gabriel Garcia Marquez are famous
around the world. As well as writing novels that are read across the globe, some ---including Love in the Time of Cholera--- have also been turned into very successful films.
With such a wide choice of genres and such exceptional home-grown talent, then why do so few Colombians read? I spent the first few months of my time in Colombia asking this very question. After a quick visit to the local bookshop, I quickly found an answer to this question. Bookshops here are often filled with “classic” books. Almost all were written over 100 years ago. Many even longer ago. As a result, the language is very difficult for the modern readers.
These “classic” are important and excellent works--- including the likes of Shakespeare, Cervantes, Homer and Voltaire---but they are not easy reading. They are books that require a lot of effort to understand and therefore not relaxing. Consequently, they are off-putting for many people, particularly Colombians. Colombians are not lazy people and I am sure that they would enjoy reading. They just need to be given more and better choices. 32. The first paragraph is intend to ____.
A. Encourage us to escape the world. B. Persuade us to read in the library C. Introduce the topic of the text to us D. Tell us not to worry about daily troubles
33. What is likely to make the writer puzzled in Columbia?
A. Few people there like reading.
B. There is really a good cultural tradition. C. Many people are good at writing stories. D. Some novels are popular in the world.
34. What does the underlined word “off-putting” in the last paragraph mean?
A. Interesting B. Unpopular C. Expensive D. Instructive 35. What could be the best title for the text?
A. Colombians Don’t Like Classics B. Reading Is Really Beneficial to Us
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