Below are Top 10 Scholarly Stars in America in 2011.
It’s not always about fame and fortune for these celebs – education is a priority in their lives. Find out what scholarly stars have earned degrees and diplomas or are returning to the classroom as you head back to school.
No. 10: James Franco
James has attended FOUR prestigious universities in his life: UCLA, New York University, Columbia University and Yale University. We hear he’s is so serious about school, he missed the Oscar nominations to attend class!
No. 9: Natalie Portman
Natalie Portman is so Ivy League: she graduated from Harvard University in 2003, thanks to her parents, who she says always made sure she put her studies before her acting.
No. 8: Haley Joel Osment
When students at NYU heard Haley Joel would be joining them as a freshman in 2006, they chalked the campus’ sidewalks with his famous Sixth Sense movie line: “I see dead people.”
No. 7: Emma Watson
Although Emma Watson put her education on hold to wrap up the Harry Potter film series, in July 2011 she announced that she was going back to school at Brown University to complete her degree.
No. 6: Dakota and Elle Fanning
Celeb sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning are stars on screen and in class. Dakota was her high school’s homecoming queen two years in a row while Elle, who still attends middle school, somehow manages to balance her acting career with math tests and gym class.
No. 5: Mara Wilson
Mara Wilson graduated from NYU in 2009. Mara, who played the adorable Nattie in Mrs. Doubtfire, eventually grew up and headed to New York to attend NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts; she graduated in 2009.
No. 4: Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks is known for being a savvy businesswoman, but even the best could use some formal training. She enrolled in Harvard Business School in 2011 and even went so far as to live in a dorm with her fellow classmates!
“We live in dorms,” confirmed the TV star. “I have my own room but we share a kitchen, living room and study area. It’s mandatory dorms. I freaked out. In the beginning I was like, ‘Oh yes, I’m going to Harvard and I’ll be at the Four Seasons down the street.’ And they were like, ‘Girl, you’re living in dorms!’”
No. 3: Shakira
Singer Shakira is resting her hips and giving her brain a workout at UCLA, attending classes on the history of western civilization so she could “l(fā)earn from the best”.
No. 2: Steven Spielberg
Director Steven skipped getting a formal education to be an unpaid intern at Universal Studios, where he learned his tricks of the trade. But eventually he did go back and earned his film degree in 2002.
No. 1: Danica McKellar
Danica McKellar is a math whiz. She used to be known for starring as Winnie Cooper in the Wonder Years, but Danica is also a UCLA graduate, math whiz and education advocate who’s written three best-selling books encouraging middle-school girls to have confidence and succeed in mathematics.
小題1:What Danica McKellar and Natalie Portman share in common is that ________.

A．both put their education in the first place

B．they graduated from the same university

C．the two actresses wrote best-selling books

D．both of them will abandon their acting

小題2:From the above, we can come to the conclusion that ________.

A．Spielberg received a formal film education before he turned director

B．both sisters Dakota and Elle have not finished middle school education

C．Tyra Banks is sharing the same room with her classmates in Harvard

D．Shakira and Haley Joel Osment are studying in university separately

小題3:The underlined word “ trade” in the passage is closest to ________.

A．business

B．corporation

C．studio

D．occupation

小題4:How many stars referred to in the material studied or will go to UCLA?

A．Three.

B．Four.

C．Five.

D．Six.

An “apple polisher” is one who gives gifts to win friendship or special treatment. It is not exactly a bribe(賄賂),but is close to it.
All sorts of people are apple polishers, including politicians and people in high offices ── just about everybody. Oliver Cromwell, the great English leader, offered many gifts to win the support of George Fox and his party, but failed.
There are other phrases meaning the same thing as “apple-polishing” ── “soft-soaping” or “butter-up”. A gift is just one way to “soft-soap” somebody, or to “butter him up”. Another that is just as effective is flattery, giving someone high praise ── telling him how good he looks, or how well he speaks, or how talented and wise he is.
Endless are the ways of flattery. Who does not love or hear it ? Only an unusual man can resist the thrill of being told how wonderful he is. In truth, flattery is good medicine for most of us, who gets so little of it.
We need it to be more sure of ourselves. It cannot hurt unless we get carried away by it. But we just lap it up for its food value and nourishment, as a cat laps up milk, then we can still remain true to ourselves.
Sometimes, however, flattery will get you nothing from one who has had too much of it. A good example is the famous 12th century legend of King Canute of Denmark and England. The king got tired of listening to the endless sickening flattery of his courtiers（朝臣）.They overpraised him to the skies, as a man of limitless power.
He decided to teach them a lesson. He took them to the seashore and sat down. Then he ordered the waves to stop coming in. The tide was too busy to listen to him. The king was satisfied. This might show his followers how weak his power was and how empty their flattery.
小題1:Which of the following activities has nothing to do with “apple-polishing” ?

A．A boy tells his girlfriend how pretty she looks

B．An employee tells his boss how good he is at management

C．A knight(騎士)is said to be of limitless power by his followers

D．A teacher praised his students for their talent and wisdom.

小題2:Which of the following statement about flattery is TRUE according to the author ?

A．Too much flattery can carry us away

B．Flattery is too empty to do people any good

C．Flattery can get nothing but excessive(過(guò)度的)pride

D．Flattery is one of the ways to apple-polish people.

小題3:King Canute of Denmark and England took his followers to the seashore because __________.

A．he was sick of his normal

B．he disliked being overpraised any more

C．he wanted them to realize how wise he was

D．he wanted them to see how weak he was as a king

小題4:The author thinks that flattery can do good to those who _________.

A．a(chǎn)re really excellent

B．lack confidence

C．a(chǎn)re politicians or in high offices

D．think highly of themselves

I had to knock on the taxi to get his attention. Finally, the driver, a man about 60, looked up from behind the wheel and apologized, “I’m sorry, but I was reading a letter.” He sounded as if he had a cold or a cough.
Since I was in no hurry, I told him to finish his letter. He shook his head, explaining that he had already read it several times and almost knew it by heart. Curious, I asked whether it was from a child or maybe a grandchild. “This isn’t family,” he replied. “Though he might just as well have been a regular member of the family, Old Ed and I grew up together.”
They were always friends. But since he moved away from the neighborhood 30 years ago, it’d generally just been postcards at Christmas time between them. A couple of weeks ago, Ed died. “I should have kept in touch.” He repeated this, more to himself than to me. To comfort him, I said sometimes we just didn’t seem to find the time. “But we used to find the time,” he said. “Take a look.” He handed the letter over to me.
The first sentence “I’ve been meaning to write for some time, but I’ve always delayed it.” reminded me of myself. It went on to say that he often thought about the good times they had had together. When I read the part where it said “Your friendship really means a lot to me, more than I can say because I’m not good at saying things like that”, I found myself nodding in agreement.
We had gone several kilometers and were almost at my hotel, so I read the last paragraph: “So I thought you’d like to know that I was thinking of you.” And it was ended with “Your Old Friend, Tom.”
“I thought your friend’s name was Ed,” I said.
“I’m Tom,” he explained. “It’s a letter I wrote to Ed before I knew he’d died. I never put it in the mailbox. I guess I should have written it sooner.” His face was pale as he wiped his eyes with a handkerchief.
When I got to my hotel room I didn’t unpack right away. I had to write a letter and post it.
小題1:From Paragraph 4, we learn that the author _______.

A．often fails to write to his friends

B．doesn’t want to write to his friends

C．had many great moments with his friends

D．was good at expressing his feelings to friends

小題2:Who wrote the letter?

A．Old Ed	B．The driver’s grandchild
C．The author	D．Tom

小題3:It can be inferred from the passage that the driver regretted_____.

A．missing Ed’s funeral

B．moving away from his neighborhood

C．forgetting to send Ed Christmas cards

D．not being able to keep in touch with Ed

The audience starts to scream and young people all over Britain turn on their TVs. Yes, it’s Top of the pops!
Top of the pops is an amazing 45-year-old programme. Pop stars from all over the world appear on this successful TV prograrmme. After about 2340 shows, it’s still the most popular pop music show in Britain．So what’s the secret?
“We get lots of bands to perform live in the studio,” says producer Chris Cowey. “That just doesn’t happen on other shows”
Chris starts the preparations for the programme over a week before it goes out．His first job is to decide which bands to have on the show. When the chart of the top twenty songs is produced on Sunday, Chris can start to book the bands
Monday starts with Chris meeting his sound, lighting and camera workers. They listen to each song and plan the show.
Tuesday is paperwork day. There are bookings to make sure of, letters to answer and lots of phone calls to make. The show is on Thursday. Bands arrive at the studio from 10 o’clock in the morning and start practicing. Tonight’s presenter, Jo Whiley, practises too
First the bands go to make up. Judy and Issy are the make-up artists. “We see the stars with no make-up on, looking terrible,” says Issy. Then the bands go to the costume department where Marianne dresses the stars.
Back in the studio things are happening. The audience is practising their dance moves! It takes over two hours to record the whole programme, then Chris edits it all night long. The final version is exactly 29 minutes long
小題1:What make (s) Top of the Pops the most popular in Britain?

A．The famous singers of the bands.

B．The live performances in the studio.

C．The large numbers of pop fans in Britain.

D．The jobs carefully done by the workers of the TV station.

小題2:When the bands receive the invitations to the performance, ___________________.

A．they must decide what songs they will perform

B．they have no idea what songs they will perform

C．they don’t have to decide what songs they will perform

D．the songs that will be performed haven’t been decided on

小題3:Which of the following statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?

A．The programme time on TV is exactly controlled.

B．All the stars must make up before their performance.

C．The producer plays the main role in planning the programme.

D．There are no audience to join in the performance at the TV station

小題4:How is the music programme made at the TV station?

小題5:Which is the proper title for the passage?

A．A Stage for Pop Stars

B．Go Backstage of Top of the Pops

C．Great Success Comes from Hard Work

D．The Most Popular Is the Most Successful

I fell in love with Yosemite National Park the first time I saw it, when I was 13. My parents took us there for camping. On the way out, I asked them to wait while I ran up to E1 Capitan, a ___16___ rock of 3,300 feet straight up. I touched that giant rock and knew ___17___ I wanted to climb it. That has been my life’s passion (鐘愛(ài)) ever since--- ___18___ the rocks and mountains of Yosemite. I’ve long made Yosemite my ___19___.
About 15 years ago I started seeing a lot of ___20___, like toilet paper, beer cans, and empty boxes, around the area. It’s ___21___ me why visitors started respecting the place ___22___ and treated such a beautiful home-like place this way.
I tried ___23___ trash(垃圾)myself, but the job was too big. I would ___24___an hour or two on the job, only to find the area trashed all over again weeks later. Finally, I got so ___25__ it that I decided something had to change.
As a rock-climbing guide, I knew ___26___about organizing any big event. But in 2004, together with some climbers, I set a date for a ___27___. On that day, more than 300 people ___28___. Over three days we collected about 6,000 pounds of trash. It was amazing how much we were able to ___29___. I couldn’t believe the ___30___ we made ---the park looked clean!
Each year volunteers come for the cleanup from everywhere. In 2007 alone, 2,945 people picked up 42,330 pounds of trash and ___31___ 132 miles of roadway.
I often hear people ___32___ about their surroundings. If you are one of them, I would say the only way to change things is by ___33___ rather than complaining. We need to teach by ___34___. You can’t blame others ___35___ you start with yourself.

小題1:	A．distant B．huge C．narrow D．loose

小題2:	A．immediately B．finally C．gradually D．recently

小題3:	A．imagining B．painting C．describing D．climbing

小題4:	A．garden B．home C．lab D．palace

小題5:	A．material B．resources C．waste D．goods

小題6:	A．beyond B．a(chǎn)gainst C．over D．within

小題7:	A．more B．most C．less D．least

小題8:	A．throwing away B．picking up C．breaking down D．digging out

小題9:	A．kill B．save C．wait D．spend

小題10:

A．satisfied with B．delighted in C．tired of D．used to

小題11:

A．something B．a(chǎn)nything C．everything D．nothing

小題12:

A．cleanup B．party C．picnic D．concert

小題13:

A．dropped out B．showed up C．looked around D．called back

小題14:

A．demand B．receive C．a(chǎn)ccomplish D．overcome

小題15:

A．plan B．visit C．contact D．difference

小題16:

A．crossed B．measured C．covered D．designed

小題17:

A．talk B．complain C．a(chǎn)rgue D．quarrel

小題18:

A．doing B．thinking C．questioning D．watching

小題19:

A．method B．explanation C．example D．research

小題20:

A．a(chǎn)lthough B．if C．when D．useless

Barditch High School decided to an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hand to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans(嘟囔聲)when Ms.Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I am to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the birth your children, in my imagination.”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in you chosen path.”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. Tee clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar(呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.
小題1:What activity was organized for the school reunion?

A．Sightseeing in the park.

B．A picnic on the school playground.

C．Telling stories about past events.

D．Graduates’ reports in the old building.

小題2:What can be inferred from Paragraph 2? 

A．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech.

B．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching.

C．Some people got tired from the reunion activities.

D．Most people had little interest in the reunion.

小題3:We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she _____________.

A．kept track of her students’ progress

B．gave her students advice on their careers

C．a(chǎn)ttended her students’ college graduations

D．went to her students’ wedding ceremonies

小題4:What was Ms.Yates’ belief in teaching teenagers?

A．Teachers’ knowledge is the key to students’ achievements.

B．Pressure on students from teachers should be reduced.

C．Hard-pushed students are more likely to succeed.

D．Students’ respect is the best reward for teachers.

小題5:Which of the following can best describe Ms. Yates?

A．Reliable and devoted.	B．Tough and generous.
C．Proud but patient.	D．Strict but caring.

One summer evening I was sitting by the open window, reading a good but rather frightening mystery story. After a time it was too dark for me to read easily, so I put my book down and turned on the light.
I was just about to draw the   36  as well when I heard a loud cry “Help! Help! ” It 37  to come from the trees at the end of the garden. I looked out but it was too 38  to see anything clearly. So I decided to go out and have a look in the garden, just 39  someone was in   40  . I took the torch and picked up a strong walking stick,   41  that this might come to be useful, too.   42   with these, I went out into the garden.   43   I heard the cry. There was no    44  that it came from the trees at the end of the garden.
“Who’s there?” I   45  as I walked, rather 46  , down the path that   47   to the trees. But there was no  48  . With the help of my torch I   49  the whole of that part of the garden and the lower  50   of the trees. There was no sign of anybody or anything. I came to the ___51___ that someone was playing a rather silly joke on me.
___52   feeling rather puzzled, I went back to the house and   53   away the torch and the stick. I had just sat down when I was startled by the cry of “ Help! Help! ”, this time from  54  my shoulder. I dropped my book and climbed up. There, sitting    55  of the mantelpiece ( 壁爐 ), was a parrot!

小題1:	A．gun　　　 B．picture　　 C．curtains　　　 D．car

小題2:	A．seemed　　 B．looked　　 C．sounded　　　　 D．proved

小題3:	A．far　　　 B．distant　　 C．dark　　　　　 D．black

小題4:	A．a(chǎn)s if　　 B．even though C．on time　　 　 D．in case

小題5:	A．difficult B．power　　　 C．trouble　　　 D．ease

小題6:	A．thinking　 B．wishing　　 C．demanding　　 D．requesting

小題7:	A．Supplied B．Loaded　　　 C．Armed D．Decorated

小題8:	A．Again and again B．Now and then C．From time to time D．Once again

小題9:	A．wonder B．doubt C．problem　　　 D．question

小題10:

A．spoke out B．called out C．got out D．said out

小題11:

A．seriously B．nervously　 C．curiously D．hurriedly

小題12:

A．led　　　 B．went C．passed　　　　 D．joined

小題13:

A．person　　 B．body　　　 C．a(chǎn)nswer　　　　 D．voice

小題14:

A．studied　 B．searched C．tested　　　　 D．examined

小題15:

A．roots　　 B．branches　　 C．leaves　　　　 D．bushes

小題16:

A．beginning B．end　　 C．conclusion　　 D．introduction

小題17:

A．But　　　 B．Yet　　　　 C．Already　　　 D．Still

小題18:

A．put　　　 B．took　　　　 C．threw　　　 　 D．cleared

小題19:

A．far off　 B．down below C．left to　　　 D．right behind

小題20:

A．on top　　 B．a(chǎn)t the foot　 C．inside　　　 D．Outside

American magician David Blaine left the glass box in which he had lived for 44 days without food on October 19, 2003. Hundreds of people came to watch the end of his starvation experiment, which has become one of London’s main tourist attractions.
Looking thinner and darker, 30-year-old Blaine was taken out of his box over the River Thames and immediately went to hospital. He was then slowly reintroduced to food, a process doctors say could be life threatening. He had been drinking only water since September 5.
A native of Brooklyn, New York, Blaine first became known as a street magician in the early 1990s. He soon found himself doing magic tricks in bars for the likes of American actor Leonardo DiCaprio and his super model friends.
Over the last decade Blaine has become famous with a combination of breathtaking magic and clever tricks aimed at getting a lot of attention. In 1999, he was buried in a coffin (棺材) for one week and, in 2000, he spent 62 hours in a giant block of ice. Last year he stood on top of a 25-meter pillar (柱子) in the center of New York for 35 hours before jumping into a pile of boxes.
“I think a lot of people are unable to accept that they’re able to do what they can do,” he said. “They don’t realize we can survive. The human being is an amazing creation.”
But he seems to have suffered from spending so long in the glass box. He said that at times he was unable to see, had serious back pains and lost his sense of taste.
小題1:It is         for David Blaine to eat food after such a long starvation.

A．pleasant

B．delicious

C．dangerous

D．important

小題2:Having spent such a long time in the glass box, he suffered the following EXCEPT that         .

A．he had become blind	B．he had serious back pains
C．he lost his sense of taste	D．he was in weak health

小題3:Which of the following can best describe David Blaine?

A．Serious.

B．Adventurous.

C．Smart.

D．Crazy.

小題4:Which of the following is NOT true about David Blaine?

A．Blaine immediately went to hospital after he was taken out of his box.

B．Blaine was born and brought up in England.

C．In Blaine’s opinion, people can create a wonder.

D．Blaine didn’t have any food for 44 days.

When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess in the school play. For weeks my mother had helped me practice my lines. But once on stage, every word disappeared from my head. Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's part for the play, and asked me to change roles. Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she sensed my unhappiness and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard. It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions(蒲公英）popping through the grass in bunches, as if a painter had touched our landscape with bits of gold. I watched my mother carelessly bend down by one of the bunches. "I think I am going to dig up all these weeds," she said. "From now on, we'll have only roses in this garden." "But I like dandelions," I protested. "All flowers are beautiful-even dandelions!" My mother looked at me seriously. "Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn't it?" she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. "And that is true of people, too," she added. When I realized that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the fact. “But you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her. Over the next few weeks, with her continuous encouragement, I learned to take pride in the role. The big day finally came. A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me. “Your mother asked me to give this to you,” she said, handing me a dandelion. After the play, I took home the flower, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed.
小題1:The girl did not play the role of the princess mainly because_____  

A．she felt nervous on the stage.

B．she lost her interest in that role.

C．she preferred the role of the narrator

D．she had difficulty memorizing her words

小題2:Why did the mother suggest a walk in the garden?

A．To remove the dandelions

B．To enjoy the garden scene

C．to help her daughter with the play.

D．to have a talk with her daughter.

小題3:What is the main idea of the story?

A．Everybody can find his or her own way to success.

B．Everybody should learn to play different roles

C．Everybody has his or her own value in the world.

D．Everybody has some unforgettable memory.

Buster Brown was a thief and a good one too，he thought． He’d never been caught by the police because he never took chances．He was always prepared for any unforeseen event or emergency.
Confidently，he stood outside the house of his intended victim(受害者)and read the sign on the front gate of the house．“Don't worry about the dog—be aware of the owner!” it said．Buster smiled and found his way in．
The house looked quite normal outside，but inside it was very exotic with fascinating objects on display．As he began putting them into his bag，a dog came into the room．It stopped when it saw Buster，then wagged its tail madly and went over to him，licking his outstretched hand．  "Good boy，” Buster whispered． “What a great guard dog you are—trying to lick me to death.” Satisfied he'd made friends with the dog，Bluster began to wander round the house，choosing items to put in his bag．His skilled eye picked out only the best antiques(古董)：a pair of silver candleholders，a silver tea-and-coffee service，etc．．His new friend，the dog，sat and watched，as if wondering what was happening．
“Well，boy，” Buster whispered，finally．“That might do．Any more and I won't be able to carry it!” He swung the heavy bag onto his shoulders, just as the lights came on, nearly blinding him. He shielded his eyes with his hand.
"You're a very silly person," the figure in the doorway said, his voice dry and dust. As the man came closer, Buster could see he was well dressed. His face seemed familiar, but Buster couldn't quite place where he had seen him before.
"You should have taken more notice of the sign outside," the man rasped. "I knew about this attempted robbery last week and I also know you will end up behind bars for 20 years. Fancy trying to rob the house of the world's greatest fortune-teller!"
小題1:Why was Buster so confident?

A．He was not afraid of dogs.

B．He knew the owner of the house lived alone.

C．The house had no security alarm.

D．He had never been caught by the police.

小題2:Which of the definitions is closest in meaning to the word "exotic" in the third paragraph?

A．Messy and untidy.	B．Rich and expensive.
C．Foreign and unusual.	D．Comfortable and calming.

小題3:How did Buster decide which objects to take?

A．He took those that were easy to carry in his bag.

B．He took only the best antiques.

C．He took those that he knew he could sell easily.

D．He looked for silver objects.

小題4:What punishment waits for Buster Brown?

A．A long prison sentence.

B．A prison sentence with hard labor.

C．A heavy fine.

D．Community service for 20 years.