Most people don't know the true story of the little boy who came to be known as Douglas Craig. He was found wandering around the streets of Washington D.C. He could not hear or speak. Sometimes people pitied him and gave him food and clothing. If not, he ate what he could find in garbage cans. It is said that a man named Craig found the little boy and took him to Dr. E. M. Gallaudet at Gallaudet College. Dr Gallaudet gave him the first name of Douglas, and the last name of Craig, after the man who found him. Dr Gallaudet placed Douglas in the Kendall School, and he stayed there until he was old enough to work. He spent his life working in and around the halls of Gallaudet. Once he courted a black woman from Baltimore. Since his courtship required letter-writing, and he was illiterate, he had a student in the college act as his "private secretary". Though that relationship did not work out, he did finally marry. Later, he married a black deaf woman from Washington D.C. The wedding and reception took place in a church near the college. The happy couple went to Baltimore for a honeymoon, but the honeymoon only lasted for one day. Their plans were cut short when Douglas's pocketbook containing about $300 was either lost or stolen. Douglas never got very far from Washington D.C. and Gallaudet College was his world. He went to Norfolk, Virginia, once on a vacation, but he did not know what a vacation was. He spent the entire time working around the docks of Norfolk. He came home with a pocket of money, and told everyone that he had a fine vacation. Douglas's last public duty was to raise the flag to the top of the new flagpole in front of College Hall. He died on February 11, 1936, but left a story at Gallaudet that would live forever. What did Gallaudet College mean to Craig? A) His working place. B) His living place. C) His whole world. D) His rest home.
C
Understanding one's own history is important for young people's learning and development. Students are often asked to write a story about their own family's history or about a special person in their family. But too rarely do students focus on the history of their own community or their own people, in a way that helps them to understand why they find themselves in a particular situation. When people understand their own history, they are able to _ the influence of the social structures that sometimes limit the possibilities in their lives. Taking this approach opens the door for young people to be managers of their own learning and development as they understand why they find themselves where they are. , Many people I have been talking to about this issue agree that not only schools but also public bodies and families have failed to educate young people about their own history. And I know from my own experience how difficult it was for my father to talk about his family's experience in 1944.This may be a reflection of the sadness that people feel about that history and not wanting to make it a burden on their young people. But in today's situation, those I spoke with now clearly see that as a mistake. If our society is ever to find a way to properly deal with the influence of our own history, including what has happened to our Native American, African-American and Latino friends, our schools must step up to help young people understand their own stories. Families and related social bodies must do the same. The passage mainly encourages us to _ . A) write our own stories B) learn our own history C) understand the importance of history D) have a proper attitude towards history
B
Q: To the Editor, Re Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold (Sunday Review, Nov. 6): I first met Lindsay Lohan in 1997 when she was 11 and I was the casting director of the film The Parent Trap. I was struck by her talent, fresh charm and innocence the moment I caught sight of her. She was, and remains, a gifted actress and a good human being. It is not for me to judge Ms Lohan's choices, or whether fame has been less than kind to her, but I have been greatly saddened by the way the media have chosen, with all gloves off and seemingly going with what could please them, to record her efforts and failures. She is a sentient human being, not a thing, not a product, not anything else to be sold. Charles McGrath makes several attractive points in his news analysis about the public demand which is impossible to satisfy, in a 24/7 news cycle forever changed by the Internet, to gossip about, and give nearly complete access to, celebrity or famous persons' lives. Perhaps people do feel better knowing that wealth and fame do not lead to a perfect life for everyone. Perhaps we admire famous people only to reject them without any pity or mercy when their behavior disappoints us. I find it ironic that Ms Lohan's decision to pose for Playboy for a monetary reward is considered to be morally questionable, while journalists and photographers gain profit by writing about and capturing images of her and other famous people. Perhaps when reporting on and reading about famous people who have lost their way, we will remember that those people are also very human people who, like us, make mistakes, endure misfortune and have a chance--in spite of media coverage--to begin a completely new life tomorrow. ILENE STARGER Brooklyn What can we infer from the passage? A) Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold was not received well by the public. B) Charles McGrath believes wealth and fame can't give a perfect life to anyone. C) Many people as well as the media show much mercy to Lindsay Lohan. D) Charles McGrath is the author of Why a Fallen Angel Is a Centerfold.
A: D
Q: Many centuries ago, birthdays were considered a time when the bad spirits were able to harm you. It was believed that you should have your friends and family around you so that their good wishes and present-giving would keep the bad spirits away. People also believed that, by lighting candles, they were sending a signal or wishes to the gods. Later on, candles started to be used on birthday cakes. One story about the beginnings of the birthday cake is that it started with the Greeks, who made round cakes standing for the full moon for their moon goddess . They also placed candles on the cake to make it light, again like the moon. However, the Germans are said to have first used cakes and candles. They used a sweet cake and they put a large candle in the centre of the cake to mean "the light of life". The "Happy Birthday" song is more than a hundred years old. The music was written in 1893 by two sisters, Patty and Mildred Hill, who were schoolteachers in Louisville, Kentucky. The music was first used as a morning greeting to their students with the title, "Good Morning To All". In 1935, the words legally belonged to the Hill sisters, and the copyright has been bought and sold for millions of dollars ever since. The present copyright is owned by Warner Communications. They bought it in 1989 for more than $22 million. Why did the Greeks put candles on the cake? A) To light up the dark room. B) To make the cake beautiful. C) To see where the cake was. D) To make it look like the moon.
A: D