Steve Jobs knew from an early age that he was adopted (收养). “My parents were very open with me about that,” he recalled. He had a clear memory of sitting in the yard of his house, when he was six or seven years old, telling the girl who lived across the street. “Does that mean your real parents didn’t want you?” the girl asked. “My whole world was falling apart,” according to Jobs. “I remember running into the house, crying. And my parents said, ‘No, you have to understand.’ They were very serious and looked me straight in the eyes. They said, ‘We specially picked you out.’ Both of my parents said that and repeated it slowly for me. And they stressed every word in that sentence.”
Abandoned (被抛弃). Chosen. Special. These words became part of who Jobs was and how he thought of himself. His closest friends think that the knowledge that he was given up at birth left some scars (伤疤). “He wants to control everything because of his personality and the fact that he was abandoned at birth,” said one longtime colleague (同事), Del Yocam.“He wants to control his environment, and he sees his product as a part of himself.” Greg Calhoun, who became close to Jobs right after college, saw another effect. “Steve talked to me a lot about being abandoned,” he said. “It caused great pains and made him independent. He was different from others because he was born into a different world.”
Later in life, Jobs became a father and abandoned one of his children. Andy Hertzfeld, who worked with Jobs at Apple in the early 1980s, is among the few who remained close to Jobs. “To understand Jobs, you have to know the reason why he can’t control himself and is sometimes cruel and harmful to others,” he said. “That goes back to being abandoned at birth. The real problem was the theme of abandonment in Steve’s life.”
【小题1】Which of the following is true about Jobs’ childhood?

A．He left his parents at the age of six or seven.

B．He was shocked knowing he was abandoned.

C．He couldn’t remember how he was abandoned.

D．His parents chose him because his family was poor.

【小题2】What did Del Yocam think of Jobs?

A．He hated to be born with scars.

B．He liked to get things under control.

C．He enjoyed good working environment.

D．He wanted to influence everyone.

【小题3】What does the underlined word “it” in the second paragraph refer to?

A．The fact that Jobs was abandoned.

B．Jobs’ pain from the abandonment.

C．Jobs’ talk with Greg Calhoun.

D．The world where Jobs lived.

【小题4】What can be inferred from the last paragraph?

A．Jobs didn’t bring up any children.

B．Jobs had a lot of close friends.

C．Abandonment influenced Jobs.

D．Nobody likes Jobs’ character.

【小题5】What is the best title for this text?

A．Steve Jobs	B．Jobs’ Childhood
C．The Abandonment	D．A Terrible Memory

Jane Austen ever popular

This summer, the UK will honor its favorite writer, Jane Austen (1775-1817), by making her face on the new £ 10 note. In the 200 years since her death, Austen’s fame has increased from the modest amount she enjoyed in her lifetime to the global fame she receives today.

And yet Austen’s work is so very English that it’s rather strange she should be so popular all over the world. Her novels are so of her time that it’s remarkable that she’s still appreciated in this very different age. Her most famous works — including Pride and Prejudice, the one for which she is most known — are set in the world of the English gentry (绅士阶层) in the 18th century.

Most of her fiction is about young women of that time. Women of the gentry could not work so their chances of happiness or even basic living depended upon finding a husband. This is a very serious subject, of course, but the joy of Austen’s stories is her ability to make wonderful, but also touching comedy out of something so serious.

Take Pride and Prejudice as an example. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters in a countryside family that struggles because daughters can’t inherit (继承) the property. Her mother wants to marry off as many of them as possible. The pushy and annoying Mrs Bennet is one of the great comic characters in English literature.

The main plot of the novel is driven by the love-hate relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, a wealthy noble. At first, they don’t get on. Elizabeth finds Darcy too proud; she feels he thinks he is better than everyone else in the countryside. She thinks that he looks down upon her family in particular. Darcy, while admiring Elizabeth, believes that she has treated him unfairly. The pleasure of the novel is reading how these obstacles (阻碍) are overcome and how the comical and unexpected ending is achieved.

If we think about this story, it’s obvious why Jane Austen is still popular 200 years after her death, and why readers can still identify with (与……产生共鸣) characters from the long dead world of the 18th century English gentry. Although there have been many changes since that time, it’s still the greatest challenge in life for men and women to find the partner of their dreams.

【小题1】What can we conclude from Paragraph 2?

A．The author believes Jane Austen’s works are ahead of her time.

B．The author thinks that everyone should read Jane Austen’s books.

C．The author has doubts about Jane Austen’s popularity all over the world.

D．The author is surprised that Jane Austen’s books are still so famous.

【小题2】According to the passage, Pride and Prejudice __________.

A．has a sad and unexpected ending

B．deals with a serious social issue in a lighthearted way

C．centers on countryside people’s struggles in the 18th century

D．tells readers that everyone can succeed through hard work

【小题3】According to the passage, why does Jane Austen remain popular today?

A．Because readers enjoy reading love stories about wealthy nobles.

B．Because readers are attracted by the way people deal with difficulties in the stories.

C．Because readers can always find something new from her novels.

D．Because her works deal with the problems many of today’s readers still face.

【小题4】What’s the main purpose of the passage?

A．To tell us why Jane Austen is chosen to be on the new £ 10 note.

B．To introduce the story of Pride and Prejudice.

C．To explain why Jane Austen is still popular today.

D．To introduce Jane Austen’s creative writing style.

   If anyone knows what makes a great children's book，it must be Sussex author and illustrator（插图画家）Jane Hissey. Her "Old Bear" books have achieved classic status in a variety of formats.

I met Jane at her home in the East Sussex countryside and asked her what she thought the secret of a classic children's book was. "That's a difficult one, I suppose it has got to be related to children's stage of development-for young children, pictures on a page that are familiar; for older children, an experience. The book should be familiar, but hold some surprises too to keep the interest. It must inspire and delight them, but there are the things that happen every day."

After the birth of her first child, she gave up teaching and worked on her own artwork, drawing pictures of teddy bears. An editor from a publishing company saw her work and invited Jane to do a children's book. Over the years, from the first "Old Bear" book in 1986, her children have made a huge contribution-especially in terms of plots. She said, "I used to give my children the toys to play with-and they had tea parties and so on. One of my bear characters,' Little Bear', is the same age as Ralph, my youngest, who's seven now. All the children have joined in my work and, in years to come, they will realize how much."

"I hope I'll know when people are getting tired of the characters. If ever they did, I think I'd go on drawing them for fun," Jane continued. "My own children have been very useful to me in my work, but as they are older now, I' ll just have to hope that other people's children can inspire me."

【小题1】What is Jane's opinion about a successful children's book?

A．It contains something unexpected.

B．It offers an escape from everyday life.

C．It's more attractive as children get older.

D．It's set in a place known to its readers.

【小题2】Why did Jane take up writing books?

A．She got to know an editor.

B．She hoped to make classic children's books.

C．Her artwork attracted a professional.

D．She wrote stories for her own children.

【小题3】How did Jane's children assist her in her work?

A．By helping her concentrate on her work.

B．By telling her their own stories.

C．By suggesting characters for her stories.

D．By giving her ideas for her stories.

【小题4】What is Jane's attitude towards her future work？

A．Encouraged.	B．Uncertain.
C．Tired.	D．Disappointed.

   For years considered as a foxy politician, Thomas Cromwell has been greatly rehabilitated (恢复……的名誉) by Hilary Mantel’s prize-winning novels, Wolf Hall (2009) and Bring Up the Bodies (2012). It’s true that he planned Anne Boleyn’s fall, and made a large fortune in a dishonest way, but he was also a good husband and father, charming and modest, a self-made man.

Certainly, he is one of the outstanding figures from Henry VIII’s court. Extremely hard-working, he was a productive reporter. It was not unusual for him to start work as early as 5 am and finish well after midnight.

Yet in researching the biography of Cromwell, I have discovered frustrating gaps in sources, particularly in relation to his early life.

The man who would one day become the most powerful in England was raised from such humble (卑微的) origins that nobody knows when or where he was born. As the son of a blacksmith, he suffered a miserable childhood.

I had the portrait (肖像), which now hangs in the Frick Collection in New York, of a thoughtful but rather bad-tempered official in mind. It seems to describe a cruel man of business, which was what I thought before I read Wolf Hall. But Mantel’s portrait of a rude but intelligent man who was as loyal to his family and friends as he was cruel to his enemies is really convincing.

His last letter to Henry VIII, written from the Tower in June 1540, is desperately moving. “Most gracious Prince,” he wrote with his trembling hand, “I cry for mercy, mercy, mercy !” Henry was said to have read the letter three times. But it was not enough to save Cromwell from the axe.

Within weeks of Cromwell’s death, his royal master was regretting the loss of “the most faithful servant”. But Henry’s daughter Mary destroyed all of that. Debate has taken place ever since — among historians, novelists and film-makers alike — as to who was the real Cromwell.

【小题1】Why are there few sources of Cromwell’s early life according to the passage?

A．He was a mysterious man.	B．He wanted to be a dark horse.
C．He was a man of humble birth.	D．He was misunderstood by the public.

【小题2】Before reading Wolf Hall, the author ________.

A．had only a limited understanding of Cromwell

B．had his doubts about Mantel’s portrait of Cromwell

C．thought highly of the portrait hanging in the Frick Collection

D．considered Cromwell a popular guy among his family and friends

【小题3】It can be concluded that Henry VIII ________.

A．felt great sympathy for Cromwell

B．blamed Mary for Cromwell’s death

C．seemed a bit hesitant about killing Cromwell

D．was the main reason for the debate about Cromwell

【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Why Cromwell got successful in his career	B．How people debate on Cromwell
C．What the book Wolf Hall is about	D．What sort of man Cromwell really was

语法填空

Christopher Reeve was born in September, 1952. He started acting while he was in college and made many successful films and TV shows. 【小题1】（fortunate）, disaster came in 1995, when he fell from his horse and 【小题2】（break）his back. The doctors did not expect him to live, saying that he was not going to pull through. However, he made 【小题3】（amaze）progress. At first, he couldn't breathe 【小题4】a machine, but he learnt to breathe on his own. He had moments of feeling sorry for 【小题5】（he）, but he never had any 【小题6】（think）of committing suicide. The second year after the accident, he returned to film making. He also raised a lot of money 【小题7】（promote）medical research into back injuries. He made speeches all over the USA about his experiences, 【小题8】 encouraged a lot of people living with all kinds of problems. Besides, he also got 【小题9】（involve）with charity work. He died on October 10,2004. But people all over the world will always remember him as 【小题10】 superhero.