Are you interested in country music? I like it very much! It will take me away for a while after I am tired .The guitars and songs will take me to mountains and fields.
Country music usually talks of everyday life and feelings. It’s the spirit of America, easy to understand, slow and simple.
Country music developed in the Southern United States. It was the folk music of American countryside. Many of songs tell about the lives of farmers .They talk about love, crops or death.
The life of the countryside can be hard, so the words in country music are often sad. At first, people played the music only at family parties. But it became more popular later. In the 1920s, people played country songs on the radio, and they made them into records.
When people in the countryside moved to towns and cities to look for work, they took their music with them. Country music continued to change and became popular across America.
John Denver was one of America’s most famous country singers in the 1970s.His song “Take Me home, Country Roads” is well-known and people still play it today.Country music is usually about _______.
| A．everyday life and feelings |
| B．farmers’ feelings |
| C．the lives of workers |
| D．the lives of farmers |
People began to make country song records _______.
| A．in the 1920s | B．in 1920 |
| C．in the 1970s | D．in 1970 |
Why did Country music become popular in America?
| A．Because city people liked the music. |
| B．Because farmers moved to cities with their music and it continued to change. |
| C．Because country music talked about city people’s lives. |
| D．Because country music developed in the Southern Africa |
Who is famous for the song “Take Me Home, Country Roads”?
| A．A farmer in the countryside |
| B．A person who moved to towns |
| C．John Denver |
| D．John Denver’s brother |
British author JK Rowling was at the release of her latest Harry Potter book called “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows” at the Natural History Museum in London, Friday July 20, 2007.
J.K. Rowling has been spotted at cafes in Scotland working on a detective novel, a British newspaper reported Saturday.
The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Ian Rankin, a fellow author and neighbor of Rowling's, as saying the creator of the "Harry Potter" books is turning to crime fiction.
"My wife spotted her writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novel," the newspaper quoted Rankin as telling a reporter at an Edinburgh literary festival.
"It is great that she has not abandoned writing or Edinburgh cafes," said Rankin, who is known for his own police novels set in the historic Scottish city.
Rowling famously wrote initial drafts of the Potter story in the Scottish city's cafes. Back then, she was a struggling single mother who wrote in cafes to save on the heating bill at home.
Now she's Britain's richest woman - worth $1 billion, according to Forbes magazine - and her seven Potter books have sold more than 335 million copies worldwide.
In an interview with The Associated Press last month, Rowling said she believed she was unlikely to repeat the success of the Potter series, but confirmed she had plans to work on new books.
"I'll do exactly what I did with Harry - I'll write what I really want to write," Rowling said. What is JK Rowling famous for?
| A. detective novels |
B. crime fiction |
C. Harry Potter books |
D. love stories |
Which of the following is Not rue about Ian Rankin?
| A. He is a writer famous for police novels. |
| B. Most of the stories in his novels happened in the historic Scottish city. |
| C. It was Rankin himself who witnessed JK Rowing writing her Edinburgh criminal detective novels. |
| D. He told the British newspaper The Sunday Times about JK Rowling’s novels. |
Why did Rowling like to write the “Harry Potter stories” in the cafes?
| A. Because she was a romantic woman and the atmosphere in the cafes gave her lots of inspiration. |
| B. Because she was a single mother at that time and she wanted to find a husband there. |
| C. Because her children were so naughty at home and she had to go to a quiet place for her writing. |
| D. Because she thought that writing in a cafes could help her save some money. |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A. The seven Harry Potter series made JK Rowling a success. |
| B. JK Rowling had made enough money so she decided to stop writing. |
| C. Rowling planned to write new books because Harry Potter was not exactly what she wanted. |
| D. Ian Rankin and his wife earned money by telling reporters news about JK Rowling. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A. Harry Potter and JK Rowing |
B. Ian Rankin, A Neighbour of JK Rowling |
| C. A Successful Woman JK Rowling |
D. JK Rowling writing Detective Novels |
We're all connected. You can send an e-mail message to a friend, and your friend can pass it on to one of his or her friends, and that friend can do the same, continuing the chain. Eventually, your message could reach just about anyone in the world, and it might take only five to seven e-mails for the message to get there.
Scientists recently tested that idea in a study involving 24,000 people. Participants had to try to get a message forwarded to one of 18 randomly chosen people. Each participant started by sending one e-mail to someone they knew. Recipients could then forward the e-mail once to someone they knew, and so on.
Targets, who were randomly assigned by researchers from Columbia University in New York, lived in 13 countries. They included an Australian police officer, a Norwegian veterinarian, and a college professor.
Out of 24,000 chains, only 384 reached their goal. The rest petered out, usually because one of the recipients was either too busy to forward the message or thought it was junk mail.
The links that reached their goal made it in an average of 4.05 e-mails. Based on the lengths of the failed chains, the researchers estimated that two strangers could generally make contact in five to seven e-mails.
The most successful chains relied on casual acquaintances rather than close friends. That's because your close friends know each other whereas your acquaintances tend to know people you don't know. The phenomenon, known as the strength of weak ties, explains why people tend to get jobs through people they know casually but aren't that close to.
So, start networking and instant messaging now. As they say in show business: It's all about who you know. If you want to get into touch with a stranger in the world, how many e-mails might it take for the message to reach him/her?
| A. 5 to 7 |
B. 18 |
C. 13 |
D. 384 |
Which of the following is Not true about the test?
| A. 24,000 people took part in the study and sent e-mails to people they knew. |
| B. The 18 targets were chosen by chance. |
| C. About 98.4% of the mails didn’t reach their goal because some people were too busy or they mistook the message for junk mail. |
| D. The targets come from 13 countries, such as Australia, Norway and New York. |
What does the word “estimate” mean in the passage?
| A. make sure |
B. suppose |
C. think over |
D. imagine |
Why do people tend to get jobs more easily through casual acquaintances than close friends?
| A. Because close friends don’t talk with each other so much. |
| B. Because casual acquaintances can help you know more people and make more friends. |
| C. Because close friends don’t spend so much time gathering together. |
| D. Because casual acquaintances are kinder and more willing to help others. |
In which part of a newspaper will readers read this passage?
| A. Culture |
B. Entertainment |
C. Information and Technology |
D. Health |
Blind imitation (模仿)is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth. Imitation appears attractive: to those who know their strength. Imitation is unacceptable.
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes (菜谱) and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously (下意识地) hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.
Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.
Syudy your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not server. Then you can say,” I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors” tragedies and tory, and know that they are cheering on. Imitation proves useful when you .
| A．know you are unique |
| B．lose the balance of life |
| C．begin to learn something new |
| D．get tired of routine practice |
To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should________.
| A．forget daily fear and pain |
| B．choose the right example |
| C．ask others for decisions |
| D．stay away from stars |
Acording to the author. The world moves on because of those who are .
| A．desperate to intruence others with their knowledge |
| B．ready to turn their original ideas into reality |
| C．eager to discover what their ancestors did |
| D．willing to accept others’ ideas |
The trouble a creator faces is .
| A．the lack of strong motivation |
| B．the absence of practical ideas |
| C．how to search for more materials |
| D．how to use imagination creatively |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To highlight the importance of creatively. |
| B．To criticize the characters of role models. |
| C．To compare imitation with creation. |
| D．To explain the meaning of success. |
A couple of years ago, before a trip to China, Nicole Davis and her US women’s volleyball teammates were warned about the prominence (显著、突出) of coach “Jenny” Lang Ping in her native country.
“I was pushed over by Chinese journalists while I was just trying to put my luggage on the bus,” said Davis.
Known as the “Iron Hammer” for her punishing spikes(扣球),Lang made it possible for China to dominate in the sport in the early 1980s. She was a key player on China’s 1984 Olympic gold medal winning team.
When the US team arrived for the Olympics, Lang, 48, who is from Beijing, had to take a different route to avoid a crowd of reporters and fans.
Then came the greatest moment to Lang：While the US team was playing in a packed gym, at least 8,000 Chinese fans unfurled an American flag.
“That really says it all,” Davis said. “They look at her as an icon(偶像)．I’m sure it’s hard for them to see her coaching another country, but they love her so ly that her success is their success.”
The loyalty of the Chinese fans was tested on Friday, when China lost a match to the US.
“It’s a pity that China lost the match, but I’m still glad that Lang Ping’s team won, since she is the pride of China’s volleyball,” said Liu Chengli, a spectator. “We also cheered for
Lang’s victory.”
Lang said she just tried to stay professional when the two teams meet. “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team. It’s the same.” Lang said.
Davis said she and her teammates could not have imagined the passion for volleyball among Chinese because the sport was lack of popularity in the US. The reception from Chinese fans has touched the US players, said US volleyball player Lindsey Berg.
“It’s such an honor to be here and play for our coach here in China,” she said. “The amount of support that the Chinese give to her and us has been tremendous. The whole event has been unbelievable.” What’s the passage mainly about?
| A．Staying professional. | B．Cheering for the Iron Hammer. |
| C．A match between China and the US. | D．Lang Ping’s career as a coach. |
Lang Ping avoided meeting the reporters and fans probably because she ________.
| A．was afraid to be questioned about her strategy |
| B．didn’t want to be paid much attention to |
| C．disliked to be with her fans |
| D．didn’t want to disturb public order |
What does the underlined word “unfurled” exactly mean?
| A．destroyed completely | B．tore into pieces |
| C．spread out to the wind | D．rolled up |
What does Lang Ping mean by saying “It doesn’t matter if we play China or any other team.”？
| A．American Volleyball Team will beat any team. |
| B．Chinese Volleyball Team is the same as other teams. |
| C．She just tried to stay professional. |
| D．The results of each match will be the same. |
What impressed the US team players most?
| A．The tolerance of Chinese people. |
| B．The popularity of volleyball in China. |
| C．Lang Ping’s coaching skills. |
| D．The loyalty for volleyball of the Chinese. |
Blind imitation (模仿)is self-destruction. To those who do not recognize their unique worth. Imitation appears attractive: to those who know their strength. Imitation is unacceptable.
In the early stages of skill or character development, imitation is helpful. When I first learned to cook, I used recipes (菜谱) and turned out some tasty dishes. But soon I grew bored. Why follow someone else’s way of cooking when I could create my own? Imitating role models is like using training wheels on a child’s bicycle; they help you get going, but once you find your own balance, you fly faster and farther without relying on them.
In daily life, imitation can hurt us if we subconsciously (下意识地) hold poor role models. If, as a child, you observed people whose lives were bad, you may have accepted their fear and pain as normal and gone on to follow what they did. If you do not make strong choices for yourself, you will get the results of the weak choices of others.
In the field of entertainment, our culture glorifies celebrities. Those stars look great on screen. But when they step off screen, their personal lives may be disastrous. If you are going to follow someone, focus on their talent, not their bad character or unacceptable behaviors.
Blessed is the person willing to act on their sudden desire to create something unique. Think of the movies, books, teachers, and friends that have affected you most deeply. They touched you because their creations were motivated by inspiration, not desperation. The world is changed not by those who do what has been done before them, but by those who do what has been done inside them. Creative people have an endless resource of ideas. The problem a creator faces is not running out of material; it is what to do with the material knocking at the door of imagination.
Syudy your role models, accept the gifts they have given, and leave behind what does not server. Then you can say,” I stand on the shoulders of my ancestors” tragedies and tory, and know that they are cheering on. Imitation proves useful when you .
| A．know you are unique |
| B．lose the balance of life |
| C．begin to learn something new |
| D．get tired of routine practice |
To avoid the bad result of imitation, we should________.
| A．forget daily fear and pain |
| B．choose the right example |
| C．ask others for decisions |
| D．stay away from stars |
.Acording to the author. The world moves on because of those who are .
| A．desperate to intruence others with their knowledge |
| B．ready to turn their original ideas into reality |
| C．eager to discover what their ancestors did |
| D．willing to accept others’ ideas |
The trouble a creator faces is .
| A．the lack of strong motivation |
| B．the absence of practical ideas |
| C．how to search for more materials |
| D．how to use imagination creatively |
What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
| A．To highlight the importance of creatively. |
| B．To criticize the characters of role models. |
| C．To compare imitation with creation. |
| D．To explain the meaning of success. |
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