There was a doctor in our city who was famous for his skills. Once he received a little child who was badly ill. Thanks to his skill and care, his young patient got well and was soon able to get up and run about again.
The child’s mother was very much thankful to the doctor, and she visited him to thank him for what he had done for her child. “Doctor,” she said, “you have saved my little son. I don’t know how to thank you enough. I feel that money alone cannot repay you, so I have made this little purse with my own hands, as a sign of my gratitude. I hope you will accept it.” The doctor stood up and said coldly, “Madam, a little present like that is very nice between friends, but a doctor needs to be paid properly for what he has done.” The lady was so surprised and hurt so much that she could not reply for a moment. Then she said quietly, “Perhaps you will tell me how much your fee is?”
“Fifty pounds”, he answered.
The lady opened the little purse and took out four fifty-pound bank notes. She handed one of them to the doctor, and put the other three back into the purse. She put the purse into her handbag and, saying good bye to the doctor, went out of the room.
The lady was thankful to the doctor because ________.
A.he had saved her life |
B.he often called on her |
C.he had saved her son’s life |
D.he had given her some money |
The doctor refused the lady’s purse because he thought ______.
A.the purse should be given between friends |
B.the purse was too small |
C.the lady was not kind to him |
D.the lady didn’t gave him money but the purse |
What can we learn from the passage?
A.The lady didn’t pay the doctor any money. |
B.The lady was means. |
C.The lady had planned to give the doctor 200 pounds. |
D.The lady was angry with the doctor. |
One day, Jack’s parents told him that his grandpa would retire after working for forty years. Jack said in surprise, “I’m only seven, so it means grandpa has been... er... A really long time!”
His parents said, “Yes. That’s why we are going to have a surprise party for him.”
Jack loved his grandpa and wanted to do something special for him. He remembered the business card his grandpa had given him two years before. He knew that his grandpa would no longer have the position on that card, so he decided to build a new one for his grandpa.
When the big day came, Jack was ready. But he didn’t want to put his gift together with others’. He carried it around with him the whole evening.
When all the other people left, he took his grandpa’s hand and brought him over to a chair and gave him the gift.
His grandpa smiled, “Well, it must be a beautiful gift. May I open it now?” “Sure!” Jack said excitedly.
As grandpa opened the gift, tears came into his eyes. Jack gave him the greatest gift he had ever got! They were business cards with his new position: FULL-TIME GRANDPA! Jack said, “Now your full-time job is my grandpa!”
“ Well, how much do I get paid?” his Grandpa asked, smiling. “As many hugs as you want!” With these words, Jack gave grandpa a hug. “Well, I guess that means I’m the richest man in the world!” said grandpa.
Who was going to retire?
A.Jack’s grandma. | B.Jack’s grandpa. |
C.Jack’s mother. | D.Jack’s father. |
What did Jack decide to do for his grandpa?
A.To build a new position for him. |
B.To draw a picture for him. |
C.To sing a song for him. |
D.To buy a gift for him. |
Which of the following is TRUE?
A.Jack was the first one to give his gift to his grandpa. |
B.Jack was the last one to give his gift to his grandpa. |
C.Jack gave his gift to his grandpa together with other people. |
D.Jack gave his gift to his grandpa together with his parents. |
Why were there tears in grandpa’s eyes?
A.Because he would lose his position. |
B.Because he was not cared for. |
C.Because he was moved by Jack’s gift. |
D.Because he was unhappy. |
Many people earn their living with their hands. Ed earns his living with his feet! And a very good living it is, too.
Ed’s story began in a very small town in Brazil. His father and mother were very poor. Seven people lived in their tiny house. Ed’s father often played football. Little Ed wanted to play football too. So his father made a soft ball for him to kick. It was a sock filled with soft materials. The little boy kicked it every day.
At last Ed learned to kick a real football. By the time he was 11, he played football very well.
One day Ed was playing with some men. A man passing by saw how fast the boy ran. He stopped to watch. How well Ed kicked the ball!
After the game, the man called Ed to him. “My name is Mr. Dee,” he said. “I used to play football for a living. Will you let me teach you what I know?”
“Oh, yes!” Ed answered.
In the next four years, Mr. Dee trained Ed to be a fine player. The boy worked hard. At last Mr. Dee talked to Ed’s father. “This boy is ready to play with the big teams,” he said. “Let me take him to a city that has a good team.”
Mr. Dee took Ed to Santos, Brazil. There, the boy joined the Santos Football Club.
In his first big game, Ed helped his team win by seven points. He made four of the seven points!
Many people thought he was the best football player in the world. He was “The King of Football”
What is said about Ed’s family when he was a little child?
A.There were seven people in his family. |
B.His father made soft balls for a living. |
C.His parents liked playing football. |
D.His parents bought him a football. |
When he first saw Ed playing football, Mr. Dee was attracted by .
A.his young age |
B.his running speed |
C.his love for football |
D.his playing with men |
What can we know about Mr. Dee from the text?
A.He joined the Santos Football Club. |
B.He and Ed used to live in the same town. |
C.He had been the best football player in Brazil. |
D.He happened to find a very good football player. |
All around the world, people drink tea. But tea does not mean the same thing to everyone. In different countries people have very different ideas about drinking tea.
In China, for example, tea is always served when people get together. The Chinese drink it at any time of the day at homes or in tea houses. They prefer their tea plain(原味), with nothing else in it.
Tea is also important in Japan. The Japanese have a special way of serving tea called a tea ceremony. It is very old and full of meaning. Everything must be done in a special way in the ceremony. There is even a special room for it in Japanese homes.
Another tea-drink country is England. In England, the late afternoon is “teatime”. Almost everyone has a cup of tea then. The English usually make tea in a teapot and drink it with cream and sugar. They also eat cakes, cookies and little sandwiches at teatime.
In the United States people drink tea mostly for breakfast or after meals. Americans usually use tea bags to make their tea. Tea bags are faster and easier than making tea in teapots. In summer, many Americans drink cold tea—“iced tea”. Sometimes they drink iced tea from cans, like soda.
The passage is about .
A.Chinese tea |
B.why tea is important |
C.the teatime in England |
D.different ways of tea drinking in different countries |
Tea is popular .
A.all around the world |
B.only in the United States |
C.only in English-speaking countries |
D.in Asian countries |
The English like to .
A.eat cakes and cookies with their tea |
B.drink their tea plain |
C.have tea with dinner |
D.drink their tea in a special room |
One is not born able to speak a language. One is born able to make a noise. I have heard babies cry in America and in China. I can't tell any difference. But when I hear someone from America speak English and hear someone speak Chinese, I can tell you there are a lot of differences.
I believe a common problem with Chinese students' learning English is that they were not taught to think in English. They have an idea spoken in English and want to translate the idea into Chinese, then they think in Chinese of the proper reply and translate it into English. After a long period of speaking the language, one begins to think in the foreign language naturally. You will learn faster if you begin to think in English at the very beginning of your study. Many students ask me: What can I do to improve my spoken English? My reply is : The more English you speak, the better English you will speak. There are many things you can do to improve your spoken English. Of course, the best way is to live where English is spoken as a language of the country.
The cries of American and Chinese babies are ________.
A.different | B.the same |
C.not like each other | D.like each other |
According to the article, which of the following is TRUE?
A.You must think in English all the time. |
B.If you translate a sentence into Chinese, you should think about the meaning of the sentence in Chinese carefully first. |
C.After speaking English for a long time, you may probably think in English language naturally. |
D.The best way of learning English is to live in America. |
The article mainly tells us __________ .
A.American English and Chinese |
B.the differences between English and Chinese |
C.the English language |
D.how to learn English well |
A couple had a son eleven years after they married. They were a loving couple and the boy was the apple of their eye. When the boy was around four years old, one day the father was very tired after work so he asked his wife to pick up their son. The mother, who was very busy in the kitchen, totally forgot about it.
Later the boy lost his way on the street. When the son was found missing, the mother hurried to look for him, but she didn’t find him. The mother felt very sad and didn’t know how to face her husband.
When the father went to the police station after hearing that the son was missing, he looked at his wife and said just four words. What do you think the four words were? The husband just said "I love you, darling."
The son was missing. If he had picked him up earlier, this would not have happened. There is no point in blaming (责备) anyone. His wife had also lost her only child. What his wife needed at that moment was comfort and understanding from her husband. That is what the husband gave his wife. Several weeks later, with the help of the police, the couple finally found their lost son. The family’s relationship became stronger over that time.
Sometimes we spend lots of time asking who is to blame. We miss many chances to give each other support and let each other feel the warmth of human relationships. Get rid of all your unwillingness to forgive, selfishness, and fears and you will find the world is much more wonderful.
What is the meaning of the underlined phrase "the apple of their eye”?
A.A person who always has a sweet smile. |
B.A person who is as pretty as an apple. |
C.A person who is loved more than anyone else. |
D.A person who looks like an apple. |
Why didn’t the father pick the boy up himself?
A.He was very lazy. |
B.He thought the mother had picked him up. |
C.He forgot to pick him up. |
D.He was too tired to do it. |
What can we learn from this passage?
A.Be careful in everything you do. |
B.Love is the most important thing. |
C.Learn to forgive others |
D.Everyone can make mistakes. |
what do you think of the husband?
A.Warm-hearted. | B.Careful. |
C.Hard-working. | D.Broad-minded |
Friends play a very important part in everyone’s life. Friendship usually develops during childhood. New friends are made when you progress through school. Those friends that you make as a student can usually last long. Friends influence your development, maturity (成熟) and sense of responsibility (责任). A familiar expression is “you can tell a lot about a person by knowing who his friends are.”. Friendship is based on common interests. If you like sports, most of your friends are likely to be athletic (竞技的). If you enjoy reading and shopping, most of your friends do the same.
Some people call you their friends for the wrong reason. These people are not really friends. They are superficial (表面的) only “friends” on the outside, not the inside where it counts. Superficial friends only want to be your friends if it is to their advantage. True friends are there if you are rich or poor. It is easy to have many so-called “friends” if you are rich. By this time you should be able to separate your friends into the real or the “phoney”.
True friends are most special. They are also difficult to find. You can consider yourself very lucky if you have one true friend. This friend is eager to help you whenever necessary. He or she knows you would do the same for them. A true friend is someone you can talk to about any subject or problem. You and your true friend have good understanding of each other. True friends support you, take your side, and build up your confidence.
“So-called” friends refer to .
A.real friends |
B.those who want to help you |
C.the friends who are on the surface only |
D.the friends who are honest |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.You should tell true friends from phoneys. |
B.True friendship is too difficult to find. |
C.You can share your joys and sorrows with a true friend. |
D.A true friend will stand by you whatever happens. |
The proper title for this article may be “ ”.
A.Friendliness | B.What friends like |
C.True Friends | D.So-called Friends |
READY or not, the college application season has begun. There are two main kinds of early admissions programs: Early Action and Early Decision.
Early Action is a great choice for the well-prepared student. Students apply early, and are allowed to apply under an Early Action program to as many colleges as they choose. The biggest advantage for students is that colleges let them know early – in most cases, before Jan 1. Roughly 15 percent of colleges and universities offer an Early Action option. Oct 15 is now the first deadline for many colleges and universities.This movement toward earlier deadlines is especially popular in the Southeast, with many of the large public universities leading the way. North Carolina State University, the University of South Carolina and the University of Georgia all have an Oct 15 Early Action deadline.
Early Decision is a promise that cannot be reversed. Students who are accepted must take back their other applications and should attend that school. Students are allowed to apply to just one school under an Early Decision program. Early Decision deadlines are in early November, with colleges letting students know by mid-December.Many students believe that they are more likely to be accepted if they apply for Early Decision, but it actually depends.
In some cases there is big increase in students being accepted, and at other colleges it is not that big at all. Generally, the strongest students are applying early. Athletes and students with focused interests are encouraged to apply for Early Decision
Choose the best answer:What is the author’s purpose in writing the article?
A.To explain the process of applying to study in the US. |
B.To describe two types of US college early admissions programs. |
C.To encourage students who want to study in the US to apply early. |
D.To list the advantages of early admissions programs. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE of Early Action according to the article?
A.A student who is accepted as an Early Action applicant must attend the college they apply to. |
B.The deadline for Early Action is usually two months earlier than the one for Early Decision. |
C.Students can apply to several colleges at the same time under an Early Action program. |
D.Students can apply for Early Action at the majority of universities and colleges in the US. |
The underlined word “reversed” in Paragraph 6 probably means _______.
A.changed | B.balanced | C.accepted | D.arranged |
What can be concluded from the article?
A.Students are not allowed to apply for both Early Decision and Early Action at the same time. |
B.Students applying for Early Decision impress colleges because they tend to be more active than others. |
C.Early Decision is most fit for students who are skilled in some field. |
D.Those applying for Early Decision have a better chance of being accepted than those applying for Early Action. |
OF course, Ms Cratty wasn’t really my aunt and, out of fear, I never called her that to her face. I only called her “My Aunt Fannie (俚语)” because the name always made my father chuckle (轻声地笑) and caused my mother to look seriously at both of us – at me for being disrespectful of my elder, and at my father for encouraging my bad behavior. I enjoyed both reactions so I looked for every opportunity to work the name into as many conversations as possible.
As a young woman, my mother had worked in the kitchen of a large farmhouse owned by Ms Cratty and her twin brother. Neither had married, and they had no children. My father once told me that it was because they were both too mean to share their family’s money or pass it on. Ms Cratty was famous for her jam and for never sharing the recipe with another one. Even though my mother knew the recipe , she never made the jam without Ms Cratty kitchen to direct the process and keep the secret.
Each August, my mother would prepare me for Aunt Fannie’s visit. One year, after I had been particularly helpful with the jam process Aunt Fannie gave me a quarter and then made me promise that I would never spend it. “Hold onto this quarter,” she said, “and someday you will be rich. I still have my very first quarter, given to me by my grandfather.” It had obviously worked for her. So, I put the quarter in my dresser drawer, and waited to become rich.
I now have the jam recipe and the quarter from Aunt Fannie. Neither has made me wealthy, but I keep them as reminders to hold onto the valuable things in life. Money can make you feel rich for a while, but it is the relationships and the memories of time spent with friends and family that truly leave you wealthy. And that is a fortune that anyone can build.Why did the author prefer to call Aunt Fannie “My Aunt Fannie”?
A.Because she wanted to show respect for her. |
B.Because she believed that made her seem closer to her. |
C.Because she loved to see her parents’ responses to it. |
D.Because she didn’t like her and thus made fun of her. |
According to the second paragraph, the author’s mother _______.
A.owned the large farmhouse with Aunt Fannie |
B.disliked Aunt Fannie’s meanness and the way she would never share |
C.didn’t know the exact way to make the jam |
D.tried to make Aunt Fannie believe that the secret recipe was safe |
The author used to believe that the quarter given to her by Aunt Fannie ______.
A.was a reminder of the valuable things in her life |
B.would bring her good luck and make her rich |
C.was a small reward for her help with the jam process |
D.was the exact one that Aunt Fannie had received from her grandfather |
The author thinks that we can feel wealthy if we _______.
A.have a certain secret recipe |
B.have lasting love and friendship |
C.share our wealth with others |
D.have good fortune and money |
HOW many of you have used rock, paper, scissors (RPS) as a “fair” way to settle something? If you think it is a game of chance, think again, according to scientists.
RPS is a game as popular in the East as it is in the West. The rules are the same: Two players make one of the three hand signs. To decide the winner, rock breaks scissors, scissors cut paper, and paper covers rock.
Many of us play with no game plan in mind. But researchers have worked out several winning patterns. The World Rock Paper Scissors Society holds tournaments (联赛) in Toronto, Canada. According to their data, players choose rock (35.4 percent) and paper (35 percent) more than scissors (29.6 percent).
If your opponent is a man or an angry person, it’s quite possible they will start the game with rock, researchers have found. If your opponent is a woman or a beginner, you should expect them to start with scissors.
Earlier this year, Chinese scientists asked 360 students to compete in a RPS tournament at Zhejiang University. Scientists found that winners tend to choose the same action they won with, while the loser tends to change to the next action in the order of rock, scissors, paper.This is called the “win-stay lose-change” strategy(策略). Humans use this strategy in many competitive situations.
Expert RPS players have many other techniques. Monica Martinez, 2008 winner of the World RPS Tournament, said that she read faces.“I didn’t worry about what I was going to do, I just did what I thought they were going to do,” she told The Telegraph. If your friends are similar experts, learn from Jonathan Monaco, winner of the 2009 USA RPS Tournament. He wears dark sunglasses to cover his expressions during the game.
Remember, the strategy for playing RPS depends on how skilled your opponent is. But if you’re looking for a quick, simple winning rule for a match, choose paper. Scissors is the least popular choice, and men favor rock. Both are reasons to choose paper.What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?
A.The popularity of RPS games around the world. |
B.The general rules of RPS games. |
C.A game plan for RPS games. |
D.The fairness of RPS games. |
According to the article, researchers worked out some winning patterns for RPS games mainly by _______.
A.studying the rules of the game |
B.analyzing game data |
C.interviewing expert players |
D.organizing major tournaments |
Which of the following statements about Monica Martinez is TRUE according to the article?
A.She likes to use the same actions many times in a row when playing the game. |
B.She usually follows the order of rock, scissors and paper when playing the game. |
C.She is good at reading her opponent’s moves when playing the game. |
D.She often wears dark sunglasses when playing the game. |
We can infer from the last paragraph that _______.
A.scissors is the most popular choice of skilled RPS players |
B.paper is a safer choice than rock and scissors for RPS players |
C.beginners have barely any chance of winning against skilled RPS players |
D.men are usually better at RPS games than women |
I have happy memories of trips to Europe, but my trip to Romania was unique. My husband was born there, but his family sent him to study in Italy. He hasn’t seen his family since he was 16.
When we reached Bucharest, his family was waiting outside to greet us. After a lot of hugging, kissing, and crying, his family also embraced (拥抱) me, the American wife with two young children. They had great interest in me. Few Americans visited Romania at that time, and most Romanians had little chance to travel.His family loved our gifts. We made trips to the Black Sea and the Carpathian Mountains. Eating at outdoor cafes to the sound of gypsy violins was very different, but nothing was as unforgettable as family dinners.
Most Romanian homes had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers. It was a hot summer. My husband’s relatives didn’t want to risk dirtying their clothes. Their solution was as simple as it was surprising: The women had dinner in their bras (文胸) and slips (衬裙). The men were shirtless. They all had jobs, so time was precious. Disrobing (脱去衣服) for dinner was a small inconvenience compared with the effort of doing laundry – at least in their household, and perhaps all across Romania. I washed my clothes by hand and hung them outdoors to dry. I, of course, having just met them, ate fully clothed.
On the last night of our three-week stay, we had a large family dinner. I was tired of washing my clothes. So I pulled my dress over my head and placed it on the chair behind me. The table applauded. Even with my poor Romanian, I understood that they were saying: “She’s part of our family now.”When the author arrived in her husband’s hometown, _____.
A.his family showed no respect for her at first |
B.she intended to talk to his family in English |
C.she got extra attention from his family for her nationality |
D.she found that she hadn’t brought enough gifts for his family |
What surprised the author most during her visit to her husband’s family?
A.Most of his family members didn’t travel a lot at the time. |
B.Women in his family had dinner in only their underclothes. |
C.Most of her husband’s relatives didn’t like doing laundry. |
D.They had old-fashioned washing machines but no dryers at home. |
On the last night of the author’s stay, the family applauded her because _____.
A.the author disrobed for dinner as the family did |
B.they just wanted to show their love for the author |
C.the author could finally understand them easily |
D.it was time for the author to give a speech |
A funny thing happened on the way to the communications revolution: we stopped talking to one another.
I was walking in the park with a friend recently, and his cell phone rang, interrupting our conversation. There we were, walking and talking on a beautiful sunny day and…I became invisible, absent from the conversation.
The telephone used to connect you to the absent. Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent. Why is it that the more connected we get, the more disconnected I feel? Every advance in communications technology is a tragedy to the closeness of human interaction. With e-mail and instant messaging over the Internet, we can now communicate without seeing or talking to one another. With voice mail, you can conduct entire conversations without ever reaching anyone. If my mom has a question, I just leave the answer on her machine.
As almost every contact we can imagine between human beings gets automated, the alienation(疏远) index goes up. You can't even call a person to get the phone number of another person anymore. Directory assistance is almost always fully automated.
I am not against modern technology. I own a cell phone, an ATM card, a voice, mail system, and an e-mail account. Giving them up isn't wise, they're a great help to us. It's some of their possible consequences that make me feel uneasy.
More and more, I find myself hiding behind e-mail to do a job meant for conversation, or being relieved that voice mail picked up because I didn’t really have time to talk. The industry devoted to helping me keep in touch is making me lonelier, or at least facilitating my antisocial instincts.
So I've put myself on technology restriction: no instant messaging with people who live near me, no cell phoning in the presence of friends, no letting the voice mail pick up when I'm at home.
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
A.The Advance of Communications Technology |
B.The Consequences of Modern Technology |
C.The Story of the Communications Revolution |
D.The Automation of Modern Communications |
The sentence “Now it makes people sitting next to you feel absent” means that _________.
A.the people sitting beside you have to go away to receive phone call |
B.you can hardly get in touch with the people sitting beside you |
C.modern technology makes it hard for people to have a face-to-face talk |
D.people can now go to work without going to the office |
The writer feels that the use of modern communications is _________.
A.satisfying | B.encouraging |
C.disappointing | D.embarrassing |
The passage implies that________.
A.modern technology is bridging people |
B.modern technology is separating people |
C.modern technology is developing too fast |
D.modern technology is interrupting our communication |
Donald was shaken by thunder on the bed before he could count “one thousand one”. Then he heard the smoke alarm go off. He went downstairs quickly to investigate. When he opened the door to the basement (地下室), flames exploded out.
Donald fled (逃) back upstairs to call 911 but the phone didn’t work. When he tried to go downstairs, he was stopped by a wall of flames. He had to use a towel to cover his mouth. His house was three miles off the main road and so well hidden by trees that Donald knew calling for help would be useless. Actually, he didn’t even try to do that.
About one mile away lived Donald’s closest neighbor, Jeremie. When he heard some sounds, Jeremie jumped out of bed, holding a phone and a flashlight, and went towards the noise. He dialed 911 the instant he saw the flames. When he came close to the house, Jeremie knew he’d better wait until rescuers came. But he didn’t want Donald to die in the fire.
Without hesitation (犹豫), he rushed into the house. He shouted, “Donald, where are you?” Then he had to run outside to catch his breath. After one more attempt (尝试), he gave up and circled around back. He saw Donald on the second-floor balcony, but there was no way to get to him. Suddenly, he noticed a ladder. He dragged it over to the balcony and pulled Donald down just when the second floor fell down.
Within the year, Donald built a new two-story wood house at the site of the fire. Jeremie and Donald don’t run into each other regularly, but Donald knows that if he ever needs help, Jeremie will be there.
What was Donald doing when he heard thunder?
A.He was going to sleep on the bed. |
B.He was ready to count numbers. |
C.He was going downstairs. |
D.He was in the basement. |
Donald didn’t call for help mainly because .
A.his mobile didn’t work. |
B.he could put out the fire himself. |
C.his house was far from the main road. |
D.the flames made him too weak to shout. |
From the text, we can infer that .
A.it was the firemen who saved Donald that night |
B.Jeremie helped Donald build a new wood house |
C.Donald had fallen off the second floor before Jeremie found him |
D.whatever difficulties Donald meets, Jeremie will help him |
John Coltrane was born in North Carolina in 1926 and raised in the small farm town of High Point. As a young boy, he spent a great deal of time listening to the music of the black Southern church. Coltrane’s father sewed clothes and could also play several musical instruments for his own enjoyment. The young Coltrane grew up in such a musical environment. And he discovered jazz by listening to the recordings of such jazz greats as Count Basie and Lester Young.
When John was thirteen, he asked his mother to buy him a saxophone. People realized almost immediately that the young man could play the instrument very well. John learned by listening to the recordings of the great jazz saxophone players, Johnny Hodges and Charlie Parker.
In 1943 John and his family moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He studied music for a short time at the Granoff Studios and at the Ornstein School of Music. He served for a year in a Navy band in Hawaii. When he returned, he began playing the saxophone in several small bands.
In 1948, Coltrane joined trumpet player Dizzy Gillespie’s band. Seven years later, Coltrane joined the jazz group of another trumpet player, Miles Davis.Then he began experimenting with new ways to write and perform jazz music, and explored many new ways of playing the saxophone.Some people did not like this new sound, while others said it was an expression of modern soul and represented an important change. By 1965, Coltrane became one of the most famous jazz musicians in the world. He was famous in Europe and Japan, as well as in the United States. He was always trying to produce a sound that no one had produced before. Some of the sounds he made were beautiful. Others were like loud screams. Miles Davis said Coltrane was the loudest, fastest saxophone player that ever rived.
Many people could not understand his music. But they listened anyway. Coltrane never made his music simpler to become more popular. He continued to perform and record even as he suffered from liver cancer. He died in 1967 at the age of forty in Long Island, New York.
_______ play(s) the most important role in John Coltrane’s love of music.
A.The musical environment in which he was brought up |
B.His father’s musical instruments |
C.The church music he listened to |
D.The recordings of jazz greats |
John’s success in music is largely due to his______.
A.hard work | B.creativity |
C.family | D.performing style |
We can learn from the passage EXCEPT that______.
A.John performed several musical instruments for fun when he was young |
B.his mother bought him a saxophone in 1939 |
C.in his early twenties John joined Gillespie’s band |
D.John went on to perform in spite of his illness |
The correct order of the following events is______.
a. John moved to Philadelphia
b. John joined the group of Miles Davis.
c. John served in a Navy band
d. John became a famous jazz musician
e. John got his first saxophone
A.d—a—e—b—c | B.e—d—a—b—c |
C.a—d—e—c—b | D.e—a—c—b—d |
Some people will do just about anything to save money. And I am one of them. Take my family's last vacation. It was my six-year-old son's winter break from school, and we were heading home from Fort Lauderdale after a week long trip. The flight was overbooked, and Delta, the airline, offered us $400 per person in credits to give up our seats and leave the next day. I had meetings in New York, so I had to get back. But that didn't mean my husband and my son couldn't stay. I took my nine-month-old and took off for home.
The next day, my husband and son were offered more credits to take an even later flight. Yes, I encouraged—okay, ordered—them to wait it out at the airport to “earn” more Delta Dollars. Our total take:$1,600.Not bad, huh?
Now some people may think I'm a bad mother and not such a great wife either. But as a big-time bargain hunter, I know the value of a dollar. And these days, a good deal is something few of us can afford to pass up.
I've made a living looking for the best deals and exposing(揭露) the worst tricks. I have been the consumer reporter of NBC's Today show for over a decade. I have written a couple of books including one titled Tricks of the Trade: A Consumer Survival Guide. And I really do what I believe in.
I tell you this because there is no shame in getting your money's worth. I'm also tightfisted when it comes to shoes, clothes for my children, and expensive restaurants. But I wouldn't hesitate to spend on a good haircut. It keeps its shape longer, and it's the first thing people notice. And I will also spend on a classic piece of furniture. Quality lasts.
Why did Delta give the author's family credits?
A.They took a later flight. |
B.They had early bookings. |
C.Their flight had been delayed. |
D.Their flight had been cancelled. |
What can we learn about the author?
A.She rarely misses a good deal. |
B.She seldom makes a compromise. |
C.She is very strict with her children. |
D.She is interested in cheap products. |
What does the author do?
A.She's a teacher. | B.She's a housewife. |
C.She's a media person. | D.She's a businesswoman. |
What does the author want to tell us?
A.How to expose bad tricks. |
B.How to reserve airline seats. |
C.How to spend money wisely. |
D.How to make a business deal. |