MaryCassattisoneofthefirstgrea-优题课

PART THREE READING COMPREHENSION (24分)
Directions: Read the following three passages. Each passage is followed by several questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the one that fits best according to the information given in the passage.
He was a real big spender. He stayed at the best hotel and ate in the most expensive restaurants.
To the management of Disneyland Pairs, he was a very welcome guest, even though he was only 12 years old. In the end, the police discovered that the schoolboy was living the high lifeon the ￡10,000 stolen from his father’s safe.
The boy, named Lamine, had disappeared from the family hotel in Paris 10 days earlier. While police all over France searched for him, he was living it up at a 250-a-night Disneyland hotel. He went on all the rides and went on every other attraction in the place.
And when he’d had enough of Disneyland for a while, he paid ￡650 to hire a large and very comfortable car which is usually used by very rich or important people to take him to a park for a day. Then he was driven back to Disneyland, where he treated new-found friends to expensive rides and dinner. By the time the truth about him was discovered, Lamine had spent ￡7,000 of his father’s money.
41. What does the underlined phrase “ high life”(paragraph 2) probably mean?
A. A way of living that involves spending a lot of money.
B. A way of living that is as good as that of other people.
C. A way of living that draws attention from the police.
D. A way of living that is envied by young and rich people.
42. What was the possible reason that the police all over France searched for Lamine?
A. The police found that Lamine stole his father’s money and ran away.
B. His family found that the boy was lost and called the police for help.
C. The police thought that it was dangerous to live an expensive life.
D. The family wanted Lamine to go back to school.
43. Why was Lamine a very welcome guest of Disneyland Paris?
A. Because he was only 12 years old.
B. Because he liked the riders in the Disneyland.
C. Because he made the Disneyland famous.
D. Because he spent a lot of money in Disneyland.
44. Which of the following statements is true?
A. Lamine moved from one expensive hotel to another with his father’s money.
B. The police began to search Lamine when they discovered that he stole his father’s money.
C. Lamine was found ten days after he left his parents.
D. Lamine had made some new friends and went to a park with them.

Having finished her homework, Ma Li wants some music for relaxation. As usual, she starts her computer and goes to Baidu.com to download music files. But this time she is surprised when an announcement about protecting songs’ copyright bursts onto the screen. The age of free music and movie downloads may have come to an end as Web companies like Baidu are accused of pirating copyright. Lawsuits（诉讼） have been filed against four websites offering free downloads. In September 2005, a Beijing court ordered Baidu to pay recording company Shanghai Push compensation for their losses. Baidu was also told to block the links to the pirated music on the website. This caused a heated discussion on Interact file sharing.
“Baidu’s defeat in the lawsuit shows it is not right to get copyrighted songs without paying. Downloaders may face lawsuits or fines,” said an official.
Like many teens, Huang Ruoru, an 18-year-old girl from Puning in Guangdong Province, doesn’t think that getting music from websites is wrong. She always shares her favourite songs downloaded from Baidu with her friends. When told about the lawsuit, she began to feel a little guilty about obtaining others’ work without paying.
However, other teenagers have different ideas. Wang Yafei, a Senior 2 girl from Jinan, Shandong Province pointed out that file sharing is a good way to promote pop singers. “If I download a song and really like it, I will buy the CD,” she said. “So what the recording companies really should concentrate on is improving their music, rather than pursuing file-sharers.”
61. Which of the following best describes the passage?
A. Downloading material can be illegal.
B. It’s good to get free music on the Internet.
C. Music on the Internet is of better quality.
D. Baidu is a popular web company.
62. The four web companies were put to court because _________.
A. they got copyrighted songs without paying
B. they downloaded copyrighted music for people
C. they offer free music on line
D. they make copyrighted files for free downloads
63. How do some of the teenagers feel while downloading free music after the lawsuit?
A. A bit guilty. B. Awfully sorry. C. A little sad. D. Extremely angry.
64. What’s the advantage of file sharing for recording companies?
A. Enabling people to download favorite songs.
B. Helping to improve the music.
C. Making pop singers more popular.
D. Getting more money from web companies.
65. It can be inferred from the text that _________.
A. Web companies are still ignoring the copyright laws.
B. Teenagers haven’t got money to buy CDs.
C. Teenagers are probably still downloading free music.
D. Teenagers prefer CDs with copyright to pirated music.

Every year students flock to the college bookstore to purchase the different textbooks that they need for their classes. Little do these students realize that, in doing so, they are throwing good money away. It may sound unbelievable but textbooks, in some cases, actually cost as much as, if not more, than college fees.
Many people think that college bookstore are the most convenient source for textbooks. Titles are usually in-stock and students may purchase new textbooks or choose to buy second-hand books and save money . But the money saved by purchasing second-hand textbooks from college bookstores is small compared to the amount they could save by shopping online.
More and more online booksellers have begun selling textbooks at heavily discounted prices. Online second-hand bookstores are another source for college books as they stock a large number of textbooks, which means sizable savings for students. Students should avoid purchasing their textbooks at the first store that they browse online since there are so many ‘virtual’ booksellers on the Net. Price isn't the only factor to consider when making an online purchase. Students should also consider shipping costs and delivery time when making their decision.
Online auctions(拍卖) are another option for students seeking a bargain. This option, however, has its pros and cons. A plus is that students can get incredibly cheap books. One problem is that while online bookstores have a system in place that ensure you receive your order within a reasonable amount of time, with an auction purchase, however, you must depend on the auction seller's timetable.
One way that students can really save is by getting books for free. Project Gutenberg is one resource that English majors will find invaluable. Here students can legally download a huge collection of classic novels. In the past students needing help with their studies would often have to spend a lot of money buying expensive study guides. Today that is no longer the case. Cash-strapped students can now visit the website SparkNotes for free downloadable study guides as well as classics.
56. Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A. Learning to save money on Textbooks B. Why Buy Textbooks
C. Tips for Buying Secondhand Textbooks D. Online Shopping
57. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a source to obtain textbooks ?
A. Online used bookstores. B. College bookstores.
C. Online auctions. D. Secondhand bookstore centres.
58. The underlined expression ‘pros and cons’(paragraph 4) is closest in meaning to __________.
A. professionals and conservatives B. processes and conditions
C. joy and sadness D. good and bad points
59. According to the passage, Project Gutenberg is probably __________.
A. a project to help poor students get free learning materials
B. a government project aimed at helping English majors
C. a website for English majors to get the guides from language experts
D. a website for students to get free sources for English learning
60. From the passage, we can learn that__________.
A. online auctions are perfect for students seeking text books.
B. students should visit many websites before buying their books.
C. the cost of textbooks in college is low compared to the amount spent on tuition
D. students should consider shopping costs and delivery time above all else when making their buying decision.

Louis Armstrong had two famous nick names. Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag, Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music.
Born in 1901 in New Orleans, he grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”
Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.
In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever he went. Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.
His cornet playing had a deep humanity and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6,1971, was headline news around the world.
51. Armstrong was called Pops because he .
A. showed an interest in music B. traveled to play modern music
C. looked like a musician D. was a musician of much influence
52. The third paragraph is developed .
A. by examples B. by space C. by time D. by comparison
53. Which statement about Armstrong is true?
A. He learned popular music at a boy’s home.
B. His tale begins in New Orleans
C. He was born before jazz was invented.
D. His music was popular with his listeners.
54. When did Armstrong begin his life of a musician?
A. In 1922.
B. After he graduated from high school.
C. When he was taught to play the cornet at a boy’s home.
D. When he was in his late teens.
55. Which would be the best title for the text?
A. The Father of the Jazz Style B. The Making of a Musician
C. The Spread of Popular Music D. The Invention of the Jazz Music

When someone says, "well, 1 guess I will have to face the music. It does not mean he is planning to go to a concert. It is something far less pleasant like being called in by your boss to explain why you did this and did that, and why you did not do this or that. Terrible music indeed, but it has to be faced. At some time or another, every one of us had to "face the music", especially as children. We can all remember father's angry voice, "I want to talk to you!" and only because we did not obey him. What an unpleasant business it was!
The phrase "to face the music" is familiar to every American, young or old. It is at least 100 years old. Where did the expression come from?
The first explanation comes from the American novelist James Penimore Cooper. He said in 1851 that the expression was first used by actors while waiting in the wings to go on stage . When they got their signal to go on, they often said, "Well, it's time to go to face the music." And that is exactly what they did face the orchestra which was just below the stage.
46. The passage mainly tells us______.
A. how the phrase “to face the music” developed in its own way
B. what the phrase “ to face the music ” means
C. when the phrase "to face the music" came into being
D. all the above
47. A person has to face the music especially as he is______.
A. a child B. a young man C. a grown-up D. a player
48.______used the phrase "to face the music" for the first time.
A. Actors B. The boss C. The director D. Cooper
49. Which of the following statements is wrong?
A. The actor stayed on the stage to enjoy the music.
B. To face the music is usually an unpleasant thing.
C. The original meaning of the phrase “to face the music ” is to face the orchestra.
D. The phrase “to face the music” has been used for more than one century.
50. According to the passage the connotation of the phrase “to face the music” is____
A. to listen to the music B. to go through something unpleasant
C. to stand in front of the stage D. to go to the concert