July 21st. 2007 was a typical English summer's day -- it rained for 24 hours ! As usual, I rushed home from work at midday to check on the house. Nothing was _ By the time I left work at 5pm. However, the road into our village was flooded. Our house had never been flooded but, as I opened the front door. a wave of waters greeted me. Thank God the kids weren't with me, because the house was 5 feet deep in water. We lost everything downstairs. And the plaster had to be torn off the wall's ceilings pulled down. At first we tried to push on through. We didn't want to move the children out of home. so we camped upstairs. We put a sheet of plastic across the floor to protect us from the damp. But after three months, we felt very sick, so we move to a wooden house in a park. The house was small. but at first we were all just delighted to be in a new place. Unfortunately, things took longer than expected and we were there for 10 months. The life there was inconvenient. What surprised me most was how much I missed being part of a community . We had lived in a friendly village with good neighbors, and I'd never thought how much I,I'd miss that. Although our situation was very bad, it's difficult to feel too sorry for yourself when you look at what's happening elsewhere. I watched a news report about floods in Northern India and thought. "We didn't have a straw hut that was for Christmas. But I can't wait -- I'm going to throw a party for our friends in the village to say thanks for their support. This year, I won't need any gifts -- living away from home for months has made me realize how little we actually need or miss all our possessions. Although we are replacing things, there's really no rush -- we have our home back. and that's the main thing. What does the author mainly want to express by telling her story? A) She valued human feelings more than before. B) She realized she almost didn't need possession. C) She found Christmas gifts no longer badly needed. D) She thought her own home was the most important.
A
(Question)
When people introduce themselves,I always hear them say"I'm just a housewife."I don't understand why their introduction is always filled with regret and self-pity.Is it,really a crime to be a housewife?Is it really embarrassing when you choose not to work outside and instead choose to work in your home? How could you be"just a housewife"when the basic social unit of society depends on you and your service?A housewife works for the longest hour,supporting your husband,child studies,caring for elders,managing finances,paying bills,grocery shopping,cooking according to individual taste,cleaning,etc.A housewife could be anyone:daughter,wife,mother,teacher,financial advisor,fashion designer and nurse,gardener,driver,cook,and so on.Don't think you are not being paid for it.You get the reward that no money can offer----the love and affection of your family,their trust in you,a happy home and your own satisfaction. It is you who choose to be in this occupation,willingly or for any other reason.After a busy day,all wait to return to the comfortable home set by you.They know you will be there to absorb all their stress and tiredness and relax them.Would the life have been the same had you been working outside to earn some money?Would you along with your family have been able to buy all the content in life that you are enjoying now with that money? Respect yourself for what you are.Introduce yourself to the world with the same dignity.The world understands the importance of your job; it's time to make them accept it.Introduce yourself with pride and with twinkle in your eyes"I am a housewife".Kick that"just"out. Listing the housewife's duties,the author implies a housewife . A) usually leads a terrible life B) plays a more important role C) does not always get her reward D) makes a great contribution to the family
(Answer)
D
Ques: 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.
Ans:
D