A man sat at a metro station in Washington DC and started to play the violin; it was a cold January morning. He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was rush hour, 1,100 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work.
Three minutes went by, and a middle aged man noticed there was musician playing. He slowed his pace, and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried up to meet his schedule.
A minute later, the violinist received his first dollar tip: a woman threw the money in the till without stopping, and continued to walk.
A few minutes later, someone leaned against the wall to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and started to walk again. Clearly he was late for work.
The one who paid the most attention was a 3-year-old boy. His mother tagged him along, hurried, but the kid stopped to look at the violinist. Finally, the mother pushed hard, and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. All the parents, without exception, forced them to move on.
In the 45 minutes the musician played, only 6 people stopped and stayed for a while. About 20 gave him money, but continued to walk their normal pace. He collected $32. When he finished playing and silence took over, no one noticed it. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.
No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the most talented musicians in the world. He had just played one of the most beautiful pieces ever written, on a violin worth $3.5 million dollars.
Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell sold out at a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.
This is a real story. Joshua Bell playing in the metro station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment.
The outlines were: in a commonplace（普通的） environment at an inappropriate hour: Do we enjoy beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize the talent in an unexpected situation?
One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be: If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world playing the best music ever written, how many other things are we missing?”Few people stopped to listen to Joshua Bell playing because____________.
| A．people were in a hurry |
| B．they were not interested in music |
| C．it was too cold in the subway |
D．the p erformance was not good enough |
When children stopped to look at the violinist, their parents ____________.
| A．would give him some money |
| B．would stop to enjoy the music |
| C．would applaud for the performance |
| D．would urge them to continue walking |
Which of the following is true about Joshua Bells performance?
| A．Nobody gave him money |
| B．Nobody recognized him. |
| C．Nobody appreciated it |
| D．Nobody organized it |
Joshua Bell played in the metro station in order to ____________.
| A．make more money |
| B．practice his skills in playing music |
| C．made an advertisement for his concert |
| D．find out people’s reaction under such a circumstance |
The purpose of the passage is to _________.
| A．set us to think about our life |
| B．show us how to play music |
| C．tell us the importance of music |
| D．report a subway performance |
Around four years ago, I received a call from the principal of our school as to the “Parents View” talk the next morning. He asked me to speak to the group. After the call, my whole body became feverish and panicky. The time from his call to the next morning seemed like years. The whole night, I could not sleep with many ominous apprehensions in mind. One of them was to call the principal with regret and tell him that I could not come. Finally, I gathered some courage. I thought, “If I miss this opportunity, surely the school will never invite me again to any of the
ir programs.”
I reached the school in time. Before my turn came, my whole body was trembling. When my turn came and I started speaking, my heartbeat increased and my mouth went dry. I wasn’t even able to read the written speech properly. I was not aware of where I was standing and what I was reading. That was the day when I realized my biggest weakness-- Public Speaking.
After my speech, I met with the principal and explained what happened to me. He told me that this happens to everyone. Even great speakers, faced the same things when they started. He suggested that I come again next time.
Around one month later, I was invited to refer to a topic on Motivation. This time I was feeling comfortable. My speech was appreciated by the principal as well as the teachers, because I was able to get my idea across to them. They encouraged and praised my efforts.
After delivering it successfully, I became more confident. I said to myself, “If I can speak in front of such a learned audience, like the principal who educates others, I can now speak in front of others too.”
I started delivering lectures in my plant, on various topics like Self Motivation, Personality Development, Personal Excellence, Spoken English and Presentation Skills. This has become a passion for me. I learned that everything is possible if we have the courage to take the first step. Which of the following is the hest title for the passage?
| A．Practice Makes a Man a Better Speechmaker |
B． Public Speaking Makes a Man Embarrassed. |
| C．Principal Provides the Best Chances. |
| D．Spoken English Develops in Malting Speeches. |
The author had bad feelings before the speech because______.
| A．he disliked the idea of giving a lecture |
| B．he feared he couldn't perform it properly |
| C．he regretted accepting the invitation |
| D．he had got a high fever before that |
What does the underlined part “ominous apprehensions” in the first paragraph mean?
| A．unlucky opportunities | B．curious views |
| C．negative ideas | D．happy comments |
What can we conclude from the passage?
| A．Nothing is to be got without pains but poverty. |
| B．Knowledge makes humble, ignorance makes proud. |
| C．A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. |
| D．Necessity is the mother of invention. |
In the United States, it is not usual to telephone someone early in the morning. If you telephone early in the day, while he is shaving or having breakfast, the time of the call shows that the matter is very important and requires immediate attention. So it is with the telephone calls made after 11:00 pm. If someone receives a call during sleeping hours, he may think that it’s a matter of life and death. The time chosen for the call communicates its importance.
In social life, time plays a very important part. In the USA guests tend to feel they are not highly regarded if the invitation to a dinner party reaches them only three or four days before the party date. But it is not true in all countries. In other areas of the world, it may be considered foolish to make an appointment too far in advance because plans which are made for a date more than a week away tend to be forgotten. The meaning of time is not the same in different cultures that treat time differently; being on time is valued highly in American life, for example. If people are not on time, they may be regarded as impolite or not fully responsible. In the USA no one would think of keeping a business friend for an hour; it would be too impolite. A person who is 5 minutes late is expected to make a shout apology. It he is less than 5 minutes late, he will say a few words of explanation, though perhaps he will not complete the sentence.A call at midnight would mean_________.
| A．it is a matter of life and death |
| B．the matter is too difficult to handle |
| C．the matter requires immediate attention |
| D．the matter is less important |
According to the passage, time plays a very important part in_______.
| A．getting along with others | B．private life |
| C．everyday life | D．business |
In the passage, the author suggests that invitation cards should be sent________.
| A．three or four days before the party date in all cultures |
| B．three or four days before the party date in the USA |
| C．three or four days before the party date in some cultures |
| D．at your chosen time |
Until late in the 20th century, most Americans spent time with people of generations. Now mid-aged Americans may not keep in touch with old people until they are old themselves. That’s because we group people by age. We put our three-year-olds together in day-care center, our 13-year-olds in school and sports activities, and our 80-year-olds in senior-citizen homes. Why?
We live away from the old for many reasons: young people sometimes avoid the old to get rid of fears for aging and dying. It is much harder to watch .someone we love disappear before our eyes. Sometimes it’s so hard that we stay away from the people who need us most.
Fortunately, .some of us have found our way to the old. And we have discovered that they often save the young.
A reporter moved her family onto a block filled with old people. At first her children were disappointed. But the reporter baked banana bread for the neighbours and had her children deliver it and visit. Soon the children had many new friends, with whom they shared food, stories and projects. “My children have never been less lonely,” the reporter said.
The young, in turn, save the old. Once I was in a rest home when a visitor showed up with a baby. She was immediately surrounded. People who hadn’t gotten out of bed in a week suddenly were ringing for a wheelchair. Even those who had seemed asleep wake up to watch the child. Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure.
Grandparents are a special case. They give grandchildren a feeling of security and continuity. As my husband put it, “my grandparents gave me a deep sense that things would turn out right in the end.”
Grandchildren speak of attention they don’t get from worried parents. “My parents were always telling me to hurry up, and my grandparents told me to slow down,” one friend said. A teacher told me she can tell which pupils have relationships with grandparents: they are quieter, calmer, more trusting.Now in an American family, people can find that ________.
| A．children never live with their parents. |
| B．aged people are supported by their grandchildren. |
| C．not all working people live with their parents. |
| D．grandchildren are supported by their grandparents. |
The reason why old people are left alone may be that ________.
| A．the old don’t like to live in a big family. |
| B．the young can’t get enough money to support the old. |
| C．the old are too weak to live with the young. |
| D．different generations have different lifestyles. |
The fact that the reporter told us shows that _______.
| A．old people are easy to get along with. |
| B．old people in America enjoy banana bread. |
| C．she had no time to take care of her children. |
| D．old people in America lead a hard life. |
By saying “Babies have an astonishing power to comfort and cure” the author means________.
| A．old people had never seen her baby before |
| B．the baby was clever and beautiful |
| C．the baby brought old people the image of life |
| D．the baby’s mother would take care of them |
Before the print was brought to England in 1476, everything was written by hand. The few people who knew how to write were trained in schools set up by the church. Those who made a living by writing for other people were called scribes(抄写员)。
The work of scribes was not easy. Much of it had to be done fast in order to meet the needs of the King. the church and traders. Most of the writing was in Latin(拉丁) ,but some of it was in the English of the day. And no one was quite sure how some English words should be spelled.
One problem was that several letters were written with short vertical strok（竖笔）that all looked like each other. Among them were the letters , i, u, v, m and n, Thus .five straight lines in a row might stand for uni nui uvi or mii.
As a result .reading was sometimes difficult, especially when the writing was done in a hurry.
The scribes solved(解决)the problem in part, by changing the letter u to o when it came before m. n or v. This is how sum and cum came to be written as some and come.
At some point, too, the scribes seemed to have decided that no English word should be ended by u or v. Thus, in time an e was added to such words as live, have, due and true. It was added, but not pronounced.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Everything has been written by hand in English since 1476. |
| B．The church set up schools to train scribes before 1476. |
| C．More than 500 years ago no people made a living by writing for other people. |
| D．Scribes in England worked only for kings and traders. |
Sometimes people couldn’t read easily_____________
| A．because there were too many u’s and v’s in sonic English words. |
| B．because most of the writing was in Latin. |
| C．When tile writing was done hurriedly. |
| D．when the writing was in English. |
The scribes changed u before m to o because___________
| A．the change helped them write faster |
| B．om was the right order |
| C．um and om had the same pronunciation |
| D．the change made reading easier |
It is believed that some scribes thought___________
| A．it important to add an e to every English word |
| B．an English word should be ended neither by n nor by v |
| C．it natural to change the spelling of sonic Latin words |
| D．the letter e at the end of any word shouldn't be pronounced |
Most of the time, people wear hats to protect themselves from harsh weather conditions. Hats are also worn to show politeness and as signs of social position. But nowadays, hats, especially women’s hats, are much more than that. More exactly, hats have changed into fashion and style symbols by many movie stars. What’s more, people now consider many different features (特点)when choosing even a simple hat. Many designers point out that, when choosing the right hat, it’s important to consider the color of your skin as well as your hair, your height, and the shape of your face.
First of all, the color of the hat should match the color of your skin and hair. For instance, black hats should be avoided if you are dark skinned. If a purple hat is placed on top of red hair, one will look as attractive as a summer flower. Second, the height of the hat is also an important point. Tall women should not go for hats with tall crowns, just as short women should choose hats with upturned brims to give the look of height. Third, and most importantly, the shape of the face decides the kind of hat one should pick. A small, gentle hat that fits the head looks good on a small face. However, women with big, round faces should choose a different style.
As the saying goes, “Fine feathers make fine birds.” A good hat can not only help your dress but also support your features, so why not choose the best possible one next time you want to be in public?What does the underlined word “harsh” in Paragraph 1 probably mean?
| A．good | B．poor | C．strange | D．different |
According to the article, which of the following women would look most attractive?
| A．A short red-haired woman who wears a purple hat. |
| B．A big-faced woman who wears a small, nice hat. |
| C．A tall woman who wears a hat with a huge upturned brim. |
| D．A small dark-skinned woman who wears a black hat with a tall crown. |
What does the last paragraph suggest?
| A．Hats are worn on the head to keep warm. |
| B．Hats can make you look much taller. |
| C．Hats are not as important as character. |
| D．Hats can help you look better in public. |
What is the best title for the article?
| A．How to Choose a Proper Hat |
| B．How to Improve Your Features |
| C．How to Show Your Social Position |
| D．How to Design a Nice Hat |
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