Individuality is the particular character, or aggregate (total) of qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from others. Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In later years, trial, error and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement. Eventually, innovators (改革者) even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to get rid of all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed (称赞).
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movement that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (高超技巧) shown by complex, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She rejected ballet shoes and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian (希腊式的) tunes, bare feet, and unbound hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric (怪异) in her personal life as in her dance.According to the passage, what did nature represent to Isadora Duncan?
| A．Something to conquer. | B．A model for movement. |
| C．A place to find peace. | D．A symbol of disorder. |
Compared to those of the ballet, Isadora Duncan’s costumes were less _________.
| A．costly | B．colorful | C．graceful | D．restrictive |
Which of the following is not mentioned as an area of dance that Duncan worked to change?
| A．The stage set. | B．The music. | C．Costumes. | D．Movements. |
We can infer from the passage that the author _________.
| A．appreciates modern dance very much | B．dislikes Isadora Duncan’s dance |
| C．thinks highly of individuality | D．knows a lot about modern arts |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Artists of the Last Century | B．Evolution of Dance in the 20th Century |
| C．Natural Movement in Dance | D．A Pioneer in Modern Dance |
MONTREAL--He may be the world’s richest man, but that didn’t prevent Bill Gates from falling for an April Fool’s day joke by two Quebec radio comics (喜剧演员) pretending to be Canadian Prime Minister Jean Chretien.
Montreal French-language station CKMF--FM said last Wednesday that staffers (工作人员) Marcantoine Audet and Sebastien Trudel had a 10-minute telephone chat with Microsoft Corp boss Gates on April 1.
The broadcast was aired on their nightly show last Tuesday and repeated last Wednesday.
“We were happy. We had been calling Microsoft persistently (坚持不懈地) for four weeks,” Trudel said.
Trudel said he and his colleague had already fooled Canadian pop singer Celine Dion and Formula One (一级方程赛车) driver Jacques Villeneuve on their show.
“This time, we wanted to give ourselves a challenge with somebody more difficult to reach,” Ttudel said.
He said he was surprised that Gates’s assistants did not check to see if it was really the prime minister’s office on the line.
Trudel said they imitated (模仿) Chretien’s heavily accented English, talking about the economy, asking about Microsoft’s Windows operating system and inviting the multibillionaire to visit a well-known Montreal strip joint (运动服合资企业).
The radio host said that Gates was not amused by the fake interview.
“He did not seem angry but he did not find it so funny,” the comic said. Bill Gates was fooled mainly because ______.
| A．his assistants were not careful enough |
| B．the Canadian Prime Minister helped the two comics |
| C．the two comics imitated the Canadian Prime Minister so well |
| D．it was April Fool’s Day |
We can conclude from the passage that the two comics ______.
| A．liked to fool famous people on their show |
| B．thought that Gates was not a great challenge to them |
| C．had a good knowledge of Bill Gates and his Windows operating system |
| D．were not quite satisfied with their tricks |
Which of the following would be the best title of the passage?
| A．Gates ‘April Fooled’ | B．Two Comics and Their Tricks |
| C．Two comics and Their Show | D．A Fake Interview |
单词拼写（共 10 小题；每小题 l 分, 满分 10 分）You must ask for p_________ before taking any photo inside the museum.
John’s brother e_________ his living by writing stories for the local newspaper two years ago.
If you want to go on a diet, you’d better c________ a doctor.
Youth should show r______ for the old.
If you m____ red and yellow, you get orange.
As a famous singer, he is always s________ by his fans.
She is u_________ her mother; she is slim and her mother is fat.
Time is l______. We need to be in a hurry.
---- May I have your o____, sir?
---- Yes, please. A cup of coffee.He doesn’t like to be v______. Instead, he prefers to solve the problem peacefully.
If you were a pilot flying a plane, and suddenly the engine failed, would you eject (弹出), or stay in? For a pilot, the choice is very difficult. If he ejects, he is wise, but the plane crashes. If he stays in the plane, he risks his life.
Recently, Chinese Air Force pilot Li Feng, 38, faced this choice during a training exercise. It was March 7 and he was flying a Jian-10 (Flghter-10) at 4,500 meters. A warning appeared on the plane’s computer screen. He realized the plane might fail at any moment.
Li Feng did a quick check of the engine and asked the base if he could return. When the fighter was 7km away from the airport, however, the engine stopped working. The plane began to fall at a speed of 25 meters a second from an altitude of 1,160 meters.
Under Air Force rules fighter pilots may eject if their aircraft loses engine power below 2,000 meters and can’t be restarted. Before Li lost contact with the control tower, the commander in the air base asked him to eject. But Li Feng insisted on having another try.
“I knew where the deadline (to abandon the aircraft) was and was prepared for the ejection, but I decided not to give up unless the fighter was totally out of control,” Li recalled during a recent television interview.
After 104 seconds, Li was able to bring the fighter to a safe landing. The plane only suffered slight damage.
“You are a hero! Congratulations!” Li’s teacher, Xu yongling wrote in a text message to him after the landing. He said Li was a cool-headed pilot and very professional.
Li’s brave and calm act not only saved the 200 million yuan aircraft but also gave him invaluable first-hand experience of dealing with an engine emergency.
For his outstanding performance, the Air Force recently awarded him a gold medal.When the engine stopped working, Li Feng _________.
| A．was flying a Jian-10 at 4,500 meters | B．saw a warning appeared on the plane’s computer screen |
| C．was still calm and cool-headed | D．was asked to stay in, but he ejected |
When the fighter plane loses engine power below 2,000 meters, ___________.
| A．pilots must restart it as soon as possible | B．pilots should repair it as soon as possible |
| C．pilots may eject for safety | D．pilots should bring it to a safe landing |
Why didn’t Li Feng give up the plane?
| A．Because he had no choice but to stay in the plane. | |
| B．Because the fighter was not totally out of control. | |
| C．Because he didn’t know how to eject. | D．Because he wanted to get a gold medal. |
What is the best title for the passage?
| A．Flying the Fighter Correctly | B．When to Abandon the Aircraft |
| C．How to Deal with an Engine Emergency | D．Bring the Fighter to a safe Landing |
In most situations, light helps us see. But when it comes to looking at the night sky, light is actually a kind of pollution. It prevents our view of some of life’s most striking sights: stars, planets, and even galaxies.
“When I was a little boy, I loved the night sky. I remember looking up and the sky was filled with stars. I became an astronomer because I was amazed by their beauty,” says Robert gent, “Now in most big cities kids can’t see the stars like I did.”
Normally, about 2,500 individual stars are visible to the naked eye without using any special equipment. But because of light pollution, you actually see just 200 to 300 and fewer than a dozen from some cities. Only one in three Americans can see our own galaxy (星系) with the naked eye. Those people live far away from the lights of big cities, office building, and shopping malls.
Fortunately, there’s an inexpensive and useful way. If we shine lights down at the ground instead of up into the sky, and use lower brightness levels, we can save big amounts of energy and keep the beauty of the night skies. Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night, making sure enough shine for safety without creating much light pollution.
Light pollution affects more than our view of the heavens and can harm wildlife. Migrating (迁移) birds sometimes fly over cities and become confused by the brightness, flying in circles until they drop from exhaustion. Sea turtles need dark beaches for nesting and won’t approach bright lights. Too much light at night may even affect human health. For all these reasons, researchers are working on ways to use light only when and where they are truly needed. Everyone deserves to look up at the sky.According to the text, using our naked eyes, ______________.
| A．people in remote areas can see more stars than those in big cities |
| B．over one third Americans can see our own galaxy |
| C．about one in three Americans in big cities can see our own galaxy |
| D．Americans can only see 200 to 300 stars |
Many cities and towns have passed laws limiting lights at night mainly to _________.
| A．save the electricity | B．make sure of cities’ safety |
| C．let you count the number of stars | D．avoid much light pollution |
In how many ways will the light pollution do harm?
| A．One | B．Two | C．Three | D．Four |
The underlined word “exhaustion” in the last paragraph means “_________”.
| A．air pollution | B．tiredness | C．breath | D．brightness |
“Tired of Working in Your Country!”
With over 500 instructors and 20 years of experience, we are the leader in the field of teaching foreign languages. We now have positions open in Osaka starting September/October 2009 for instructors of English, German, Spanish and French.
·Teach many different kinds of classes using the latest technology in small classes of up to 3 students.
·Accommodation(住宿) and other necessary documents will be ready before you arrive.
·Applicants will teach their first language only.
·Excellent teacher training programs.
If you are young with a university degree and are willing to experience different cultures, apply now. Experience in teaching is an advantage but not specially required. Knowledge of the Japanese language is not necessary, but good English skills and practical computer knowledge are basic requirements.
Apply with C.V. and send letters to:
NOVA France, Mr Sampy (IHT3/2)
34, Bd, Haussmann, 75009 Paris, France
Fax: 33148014804
Or visit our website: www.teachjp.com
The manager expects to meet and talk with successful applicants in Paris in June and July.What is the purpose of the text?
| A．To introduce a language school in Japan. | B．To hire language teachers to work in Japan. |
| C．To describe working conditions in Japan. | D．To make clear the requirements for Japanese teachers. |
We know from the text that those who are going to Japan will __________.
| A．teach English only in Osaka | B．receive a degree from a university |
| C．have free accommodation | D．get trained for the job |
If you want to work in Japan, you should ______________.
| A．have some working experience | B．know how to use computers |
| C．present good teaching plans | D．speak several languages |
Before going to Japan, you need __________.
| A．to see the manager of NOVA France | B．to take some computer courses |
| C．to write a letter to Japan | D．to find a place to live |