中考英语时文阅读选(学生课外阅读材料).docx

How do Zhang Ziyi and Yao Ming Learn English?
章子怡和姚明是如何学习英语的？
Actress Zhang Ziyi, 27, is now not only a household name in China, but also the face of Asian cinema in Hollywood. Although Zhang received praises for her work in the Oscar-winning movie "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" (《卧虎藏龙》), she didn't speak a word of English at that time. When she met director Steven Spielberg for the title role of American film, "Memoirs of a Geisha" (《艺伎回忆录》), Zhang could only blurt out a few words her agent had taught her five minutes ago: "Hire (雇佣) me!"
She finally got the role, which meant she had to speak only English in the film. To improve her English, Zhang listened to and repeated words and phrases she heard on music CDs. One of the artists she was listening to was Eminem, which obviously led to some embarrassing (尴尬的) moments for Zhang. "I didn't always know what Eminem was talking about, so I wrote down the lyrics (歌词) and repeated them. Later, I understood how rude they were."
Zhang said her favourite English idiom is "to drive one up the wall". "Learning English is driving me up the wall," she said.
Like Zhang, basketball star Yao Ming also had to learn English to help his career development. Yao landed in the NBA in 2002. His team the Houston Rockets found a translator (翻译) for Yao. To adapt (适应) himself to the new environment, Yao used English as much as possible. On court, he had to use the language to communicate with his teammates. Off court, he tried to have conversations in English with his teacher just to practise.
Yao Ming also had to memorize (记住) lots of new vocabulary. "Sometimes I learn a new word but quickly forgot it. But I find my memories are consolidated (强化) when someone uses it later."
Now Yao is good at English. He doesn't need a translator anymore.
Match point for new star
郑洁：个子小怎么啦，我一样行。
ZHENG Jie is not like other girls her age. While most girls struggle to stay slim (苗条), Zheng wishes she could put on some weight and pack on more muscle. And, while other girls wear sunscreen (防晒霜) and whitening cream in the summer, Zheng Jie stays in the sun all day long, without any make-up.
"My goal is to play the best tennis," the 23-year-old explained. Zheng Jie is now one of the highest-ranking Chinese women's players. She made it to the second round (轮) of the China Open last week.
Zheng Jie has achieved far more than many people expected. The moment she picked up a tennis racket, the girl from Chengdu was told she was not suited to the game.??"They said I didn't have much potential to develop." Compared with other kids, Zheng looked weak and she was also the shortest. She was very upset and thought about giving up.
"My height is my biggest disadvantage but it is something I can't control," said Zheng Jie, who now stands 1.64 metres tall. But she refuses to let this stand in her way. "If others say I am not good enough, then I must get better. If I give up, it will prove they are right," she said.
So Zheng makes full use of what she can control. She has worked hard on her physical fitness (体能) and runs endlessly on court. "Now when someone says I am too short for the game, it will not hurt me anymore. It only stimulates (刺激) me to try harder," she said.
Zheng Jie and Yan Zi signed in for the Australia Open women's doubles (双打) in January. But the staff (工作人员) thought they were too short to be professional players and told them they were in the wrong place. But Zheng and Yan finally won the finals. They went on to pick up their second Gram Slam doubles title at Wimbledon in August.
However, Zheng Jie hasn't got time to relax and enjoy her success. "If I am not in the training centre, then I am on the court. If I am not on the court, I am on the way to it," she said, humorously describing her hard schedule.
But Zheng admitted (承认) fame and success have changed some things. "Before, when I played a tournament abroad, the training court given to me was very far away and inconvenient. But now I can have a better court and the staff pick me up after training," she said.
Your turn: Everyone has confronted some kind of difficult times. What are your reactions when others say you are not good enough to deal with a task? Do you give up?

Super Girls' first birthday
一起来看看李宇春、周笔畅、张靓颖同学一年级的期末成绩单吧。
LAST year's "Super Girl" winners have just finished their "final exams" for their first year in the entertainment world. So, how are they doing?

Li Yuchun, 22, has done a good job in developing her musical career. Her first album "The Queen and the Dreams" (《皇后与梦想》) was released on September 13. Singles (单曲) such as "Loving" and "The Story of Ice and Chrysanthemum" (《冰菊物语》) have topped the China Music Radio chart (排行榜) for two weeks. Li has also practised hard to improve her dancing skills, such as Latin steps and hip hop dancing.
"I know who I am and where I am going. Those untrue stories won't bother me," she said. Li has no plans to become an actress for now. She said she is focused on her music.

Zhang Liangying, 22, has been written about more than any other Super Girl. The story about her singing in a pub before she was famous, and rumoured love affairs (绯闻), have made the headlines. Zhang complained life was hard as an entertainer (艺人) and said she couldn't focus on music because of the press attention. And, Zhang hasn't yet taken any roles in films or TV dramas.

But Zhang is now considered as one of the top-level foreign language singers in China. She will release her new album called "The One" in October. She hopes for a breakthrough after she was criticized for her previous songs. Although the songs displayed her unique singing techniques, critics complained she wasn't offering anything new.

Zhou Bichang, 21, has had more troubles than the other top winners. Her career looked in doubt after a contract dispute (合约纠纷). And, although her two singles "Biji" and "Swan" (天鹅) are popular, she is accused (指责) of copying other musicians. She was the first Super Girl to release an album. "Who Has Touched My String" (《谁动了我的琴弦》) came out in August. The album was a success but does not fully display the hip hop style for which she is known.

Besides her music, Zhou also appeared in two films, "McDull The Alumni" (《春田花花同学会》) and "The 601st Phone Call". She changed her boyish girl image for the role of a long-haired business woman.

New prince of German football
HE is talked about as Germany's answer to top England goal-scorer (射手) Wayne Rooney. But, while Rooney is strong and powerful, Lukas Podolski has elegance (优雅) and a striker's instinct (本能).

Many young Chinese became fans of the 21-year-old during the World Cup this summer. He scored three goals in Germany's run to third place and picked up the FIFA young player of the tournament award. His good form (状态) didn't end there. He scored five goals in Germany's record 13-0 win over San Marino last week.

Podolski was first chosen to play for Cologne (科隆队), the club he loved as a boy, in 2003. The manager, hungry for goals to prevent relegation (降级), turned to the then 18-year-old. Podolski did not disappoint him, scoring 10 goals in 19 games. This is a German record for someone so young. Just six months before he had been watching games with other fans in the stadium. Now they were singing his nickname "Prince Poldi" as he tried to save his club.

Sadly, Podolski was not enough to stop Cologne going down to the German second division (乙级联赛). Usually, talented young players leave second division clubs in order to learn from stars at a major club. Bayern Munich (拜仁慕尼黑队), a top German club, showed interest in him. But Podolski stayed loyal to Cologne. "It doesn't matter as I will stay with my friends," he said.

In 2004 his 24 goals helped Cologne back to the first division. It also earned Podolski a place in the German national team. He became the first second division player since 1975 to play for the national side.

With a desire "to compare with the best", Podolski finally joined Bayern Munich after the World Cup. If you want to cheer for him, check CCTV-5 on Saturday nights.

New York towers rise again
当自由大厦拔地而起的时候，曼哈顿又增添了一道别样的城市风景。
FIVE years have passed since New Yorkers saw the twin towers of the World Trade Centre, and many lives, destroyed by terrorists. However, four new buildings will soon rise again on the site, bigger and better than before.

Famous Polish architect (建筑师) Daniel Libeskind, and American David Childs were chosen by the public in 2003 to lead the project.
They will work on the site's tallest building, the Freedom Tower, and several memorials (纪念碑) to the victims (遇难者) of September 11.
The tower will be 1776 feet (541.3 metres) high. "It represents the Declaration of Independence (《独立宣言》)," said Libeskind, referring to the year in which the US won independence from Britain.
Work was started in April this year. The skyscraper (高楼) should be completed by 2008 and ready to use by 2011.
A museum on the ground floor will make sure those who died on September 11, 2001 are never forgotten.
Three other skyscrapers will be built on the site. Normal Foster, Richard Rogers and Fumihiko Maki have each contributed a design. However, the buildings will be smaller than the Freedom Tower.
The site will be developed by businessman Larry Silverstein who will work together with New York's Port Authority (which controls the area). They will pay for the rebuilding costs. They want to fill the hole in the heart of the city with interesting buildings. And, they hope to make New Yorkers feel proud "in honour of the memories (纪念) of the heroes we lost".

Snails are off the menu
A 34-year-old man admitted himself to Beijing Friendship Hospital in June complaining of nausea (呕吐) and unbearable headaches. Doctors rushed to identify this mystery sickness, and soon found the root of the problem in a snail (螺).

Originally from South America, the Amazonian snail (亚马逊螺) was imported by restaurants in the late 1980's. It soon became a fashionable dish.

Known as "Fushouluo", the snail was given its name as it was believed to bring good luck and longevity (长寿). But, the snail may also cause a painful disease, if eaten raw (生的) or partly cooked.
In Beijing, the number of people complaining of these symptoms (症状) had risen to 131 by September 5. The one thing that united the cases was that they had all eaten at the Shuguo Yanyi chain of restaurants.

By serving half-cooked snail meat to customers, the restaurants had not ensured a dangerous parasite (寄生虫) in the meat had been killed.
Ten days after they ate the snails, the diners became ill. The worms have attacked the diners' nervous systems, causing fever, headaches and muscle (肌肉) pain.
The Ministry of Health punished the restaurants at the root of the outbreak for putting diners' health at such risk. All dishes containing uncooked snail meat were banned. Doctors said that cooking the snail at high temperatures for up to five minutes should be enough to kill the parasites they contain. However, anything less than thoroughly (彻底地) boiling the snails may put consumer's health at risk. Freshwater crabs, shrimp, fish and shellfish may have the same health risk if not thoroughly cooked.
Recently, health inspectors visited 2,000 restaurants in Beijing and found no one serving uncooked seafood.
Sadly, the problem of dangerous seafood is not just found in Beijing. Guangzhou has recently reported a similar case.
Fortunately, the illness is fully treatable if found within ten days, according to doctors in Beijing. Hopefully, the case will be a warning to food lovers to be careful before they risk eating raw seafood.

Hong Kong dreams
高考状元香港求学的自白：忙碌、新鲜而充满希望。
"I NEVER expected that I would be so busy. Why can't there be 25 hours in a day?" complained Liu Ran in Hong Kong as mid-term exams were going on.

The 18-year-old was Shandong Province's top scorer in this year's college entrance examination. After graduating from Tai'an No 1 High School, she chose the Chinese University of Hong Kong (香港中文大学), although both Peking and Tsinghua University promised her a place.
"I want to experience a more international school and social life in Hong Kong. I'm majoring in 专业是) journalism, so Hong Kong will surely help widen my horizons (开阔视野)," Liu said.
It is two months since Liu first set foot on Hong Kong. She missed home a lot at the beginning, because of the food and language problems.

"The canteen offers mostly Western or Guangdong food, but it's convenient (方便的) to cook for ourselves in our dorm if we like. People speak Cantonese and almost all classes are in English," Liu explained.
Her English and Cantonese are now both improving, but she still needs more time to adapt to the new environment.
"I'm happy that I made the right decision to study here. With a mix of the Eastern and Western cultures, there is so much to discover and learn," she said.
Liu has 18 credit hours (学分) of classes every week and 23 non-credit hours every other week. She has signed up for four associations including the Chinese Languange Debating Team and the drama club. Essays, book reports and presentations (课堂发言) also take plenty of time to prepare. And, of course, there are various parties to attend.
"I wasn't a party animal before, but that may be the interesting part of college. I sense myself changing," Liu said.
Scholarships and expenses
FOUR years of study in Hong Kong is not cheap, costing at least 400,000 yuan, but many top students receive scholarships.
Liu is among the lucky ones. The Chinese University of Hong Kong granted (正式给予) Liu a full scholarship - HK$500,000.
Not all students are so fortunate. Some poorer students are forced to give up dreams of a Hong Kong education if they don't win a scholarship.
Autumn Guo got admission letters from both Nanjing University and Hong Kong Polytechnic University (香港理工大学) this fall. However, the Hong Kong university didn't offer the 19-year-old Chongqing girl a scholarship.
"I hesitated a lot as 400,000 yuan is a huge amount of money for my family. But Hong Kong won my parents and me over with their English courses and chances to visit foreign universities on educational exchange programmes. I believe it will be easier for me to find jobs or further my studies abroad than it will be for students on the mainland," she said.
It drives me up the wall
IF you feel English sometimes means endless new words, difficult grammar and strange pronunciation, you are not the only one to struggle. Do you know that many celebrities (明星) have the same frustrations (挫折) as you?

Getting old fast, getting rich slowly
中国未富先老，应对老龄化社会的挑战需要我们奉献更多的爱心。
ALONG with the golden leaves and chrysanthemum blossoms (菊花) at this time of year comes the yearly grandparents holiday. The Double Ninth Festival, which we celebrate today, is a day for young people to show how much they care for their