I started winning competitions. We still had very little money -- my father had to borrow $5,000 to pay for a trip to the International Young Pianists Competition in Ettlingen, Germany, in 1994, when I was 12. I realized later how much pressure he was under. Tears streamed down his face when it was announced that I'd won -- earning enough money to pay back our loan.
It was soo n clear I couldn't stay in China forever. To become a world-class musician, I had to play on the world's big stages. So in 1997, my father and I moved again, this time to Philadelphia, so I could attend The Curtis Institute of Music. Finally our money worries were easing. The school paid for an apartment and even lent me a Steinway（斯坦威钢琴）.At night, I would sneak into the living room just to touch the keys.
Now that I was in America, I spent two years practicing, and by 1999 I had worked hard enough for fortune to take over. The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard me play and liked me, but orchestra schedules were set far in advance. I thought I might join them in a few years.
The next morning, I got a call. The great pianist Andre Watts, who was to play the "Gala Benefit Evening" at Chicago's Ravinia Festival, had become ill. I was asked to replace him. That performance was, for me, the moment. After violinist Isaac Stern introduced me, I played Tchaikovsky's Piano Concerto No. 1. My father's mouth hung open throughout the entire song.
I played until 3:30 a.m. I felt something happening. Sure enough, it was a great success. Still, my father kept telling me, "You'd better practice!" But living in America with me was beginning to relax him. In Beijing I'd been fat -- he made sure I ate -- and he'd been skinny. Now I was getting thin. He wasn't.
My father and I had often practiced a piece called "Horses," a fun version for piano and erhu. One night in Carnegie Hall, after I played Chopin and Liszt, I brought Dad out on the stage, and we played our duet（二重奏）. People went crazy -- they loved it. My father couldn't sleep for days. He was too happy to sleep.
There have been lots of concerts in Carnegie Hall, but for me playing there was especially sweet when I remember the cold days in Beijing. Together, my father and I worked to reach the lucky place where fortune spots you, and lets you shine.In the first paragraph his father cried when it was announced that he'd won mainly because__________.
| A．his father was excited that his son succeeded at last. |
| B．his father was under too much pressure. |
| C．they could pay back the loan with the prize. |
| D．his father was proud of him. |
Tell the order of the events.
a. He and his father moved to Philadelphia.
b. He was asked to replace the great pianist Andre Watts.
c. He and his father played “Horses” together.
d.The Chicago Symphony orchestra heard his performance.
e. The Curtis Institute of Music lent him a Steinway
| A．a, e, c, b, d | B．b, e, a, d, c | C．d, a, e, b, c | D．a, e, d, b, c |
Which of the following statements agrees with the author?
| A．The writer’s father had been very fat before they went to America. |
| B．The writer thought he would be one of them soon when he knew the Chicago Symphony orchestra heard him play and liked him. |
| C．The Curtis Institute of Music finally eased their money worries. |
| D．One can achieve his dream if he is lucky enough. |
The underlined word there in the last paragraph refers to_________.
| A．America | B．Beijing. | C．Carnegie Hall | D．All the places he went to. |
What is the best title of the passage?
| A．I Took Off! | B．When Fortune Spots Me. |
| C．No Pain, No Gain. | D．My father and I |
South Asia heatwave kills nearly 100
DHAKA - A heat wave sweeping India, Bangladesh and Nepal has killed nearly 100 people over the past two weeks, officials said on June 3, 2005.
A third of the people died in northern Bangladesh, mostly women and children from dehydration(脱水), heat stroke and diarrhoea(腹泻).
"We are getting reports of several deaths due to heat wave and related diseases almost every day," an official said, as temperatures touched 43℃.
The weather office in Dhaka said the hot weather will last for another week until the monsoon(季风) rains which are normally due by the middle of June.
Severe heat conditions in the southern Indian have killed at least 55 people, officials in the two states said.
While temperatures have fallen from a high of 45℃ in Andhra Pradesh to around 40℃, giving a respite（休息） to people, they are still on the rise in Orissa with Talcher town registering 48.5℃, a weather official said.
At least five people have died in Nepal from extreme heat, the government said.We can infer that the heatwave can cause ______.
| A．heat stoke | B．dehydration | C．diarrhoea | D．all above |
When the monsoon rains come, the temperature will _______.
| A．remain the same | B．go on to rise sharply |
| C．begin to drop obviously | D．rise a little |
Which place is the hottest in the early June, 2005?
| A．Dhaka | B．Talcher | C．Andhra Pradesh | D．Nepal |
Remembering names is an important social skill．Here are some ways to master it．
Recite and repeat in conversation．
When you hear a person’s name，repeat it．Immediately say it to yourself several times without moving your lips．You could also repeat the name in a way that does not sound forced or artificial．
Ask the other person to recite and repeat．
You can let other people help you remember their names．After you’ve been introduced to someone，ask that person to spell the name and pronounce it correctly for you．Most people will be pleased by the effort you’re making to learn their names．
Admit you don’t know．
Admitting that you can’t remember someone’s name can actually make people relaxed．Most of them will feel sympathy if you say．“I’m working to remember names better．Yours is right on the tip of my tongue．What is it again?”
Use associations．
Link each person yon meet with one thing you find interesting or unusual．For example，you could make a mental note: "Vicki Cheng -- tall, black hair.” To reinforce (加强) your associations, write them on a small card as soon as possible.
Limit the number of new names you learn at one time.
When meeting a group of people, concentrate on remembering just two or three names. Free yourself from remembering every one. Few of the people in mass introductions expect you to remember their names. Another way is to limit yourself to learning just first names. Last names can come later.
Go early.
Consider going early to conferences, parties and classes. Sometimes just a few people show up on time. That's fewer names for you to remember. And as more people arrive, you can hear them being introduced to others -- an automatic review for you.How will most people feel when you try hard to remember their names?
| A．They will be moved. | B．They will be annoyed. |
| C．They will be delighted. | D．They will be discouraged. |
If you can't remember someone's name, you may __
| A．tell him the truth | B．tell him a white lie |
| C．ask him for pity | D．ask others to help you |
When you meet a group of people, it is better to remember __
| A．all their names | B．a couple of names first |
| C．just their last names | D．as many names as possible |
What does the text mainly tell us?
| A．Tips on an important social skill. | B．Importance of attending parties. |
| C．How to make use of associations. | D．How to recite and repeat names. |
It was a winter morning, just a couple of weeks before Christmas 2005. While most people were warming up their ears, Trevor, my husband, had to get up early to ride his bike four kilometers away from home to work. On arrival, he parked his bike outside the back door as he usually does. After putting in 10 hours of labor, he returned to find his bike gone.
The bike, a black Kona 18 speed, was our only transport. Trevor used it to get to work, putting in 60-hour weeks to support his young family. And the bike was also used to get groceries (食品杂货) saving us from having to walk long distances from where we live.
I was so sad that someone would steal our bike that I wrote to the newspaper and told them our story. Shortly after that，several people in our area offered to help. One wonderful stranger even bought a bike, then called my husband to pick it up. Once again my husband had a way to get to and from his job. It really is an honor that a complete stranger would go out of their way for someone they have never met before.
People say that a smile can be passed from one person to another, but acts of kindness from strangers are even more so. This experience has had a spreading effect in our lives because it strengthened our faith in humanity (人性) as a whole. And it has influenced (影响) us to be more mindful of ways we, too, can share with others. No matter how or how small, an act of kindness shows that someone cares. And the results can be everlasting.Why was the bike so important to the couple?
| A．The man’s job was bike racing. | B．It was their only possession. |
| C．It was a nice Kona 18 speed. | D．They used it for work and daily life |
We can infer from the text that ________
| A．The couple worked 60 hours a week | B．people were busy before Christmas |
| C．the stranger brought over the bike | D．life was hard for the young family |
How did people get to know the couple’s problem?
| A．From radio broadcasts. | B．From a newspaper. |
| C．From TV news. | D．From a stranger. |
What do the couple learn from their experience?
| A．Strangers are usually of little help. | B．One should take care of their bike. |
| C．News reports make people famous. | D．An act of kindness can mean a lot. |
The meaning of the word “volunteer ” may be a little different in different countries, but it usually means “one who offers his or her services.” There are many different ways in which people can volunteer, such as taking care of sick people, working in homes for homeless children, and picking up garbage(垃圾) from beaches and parks. Volunteers may work within their own countries or in other countries. They are often people with a strong wish to help those who are less fortunate than themselves. Volunteers don’t expect any kind of pay.
At the root of volunteering is the idea that one person may have the ability to offer services that can help other people. Tracy, a good friend of mine, however, recently came back from India with a new idea of what being a volunteer means. She worked for two and a half weeks in one of Mother Teresa’s homes in Calcutta. The following is her story.
“I first heard about Mother Teresa in my high school, we watched a video(录像) about her work in India and all over the world. I was so moved by her spirit to help others and her endless love for every human being that after I graduated from high school, I too wanted to try her kind of work. So with two friends I flew to Calcutta for a few weeks.”
“I was asked to work in a home for sick people. I helped wash clothes and sheets, and pass out lunch. I also fed the people who were too weak to feed themselves and tried to cheer them up. I felt it was better to share with them than to think that I have helped them. To be honest, I don’t think I was helping very much. It was then that I realized that I had not really come to help, but to learn about and experience another culture(文化) that helped improve my own understanding of life and the world.”According to the text, a volunteer refers to a person who ______.
| A．is willing to help those in need without pay |
| B．can afford to travel to different places |
| C．has a strong wish to be successful |
| D．has made a big fortune in life |
Tracy started her work as a volunteer _______.
| A．after she met Mother Teresa | B．after she finished high school |
| C．when she was touring Calcutta | D．when she was working in a hospital |
Why did Tracy choose to be a volunteer?
| A．She liked to work with Mother Teresa. |
| B．She had already had some experience. |
| C．She was asked by Mother Teresa’s example. |
| D．She wanted to follow Mother Teresa’s example. |
What is Tracy’s “new idea” (Paragraph 2) of being a volunteer?
| A．Going abroad to help the sick. |
| B．Working in Mother Teresa’s home. |
| C．Doing simple things to help the poor. |
| D．Improving oneself through helping others. |
How I Turned to Be Optimistic
I began to grow up that winter night when my parents and I were returning from my aunt's house, and my mother said that we might soon be leaving for America. We were on the bus then. I was crying, and some people on the bus were turning around to look at me. I remember that I could not bear the thought of never hearing again the radio program for school children to which I listened every morning.
I do not remember myself crying for this reason again. In fact, I think I cried very little when I was saying goodbye to my friends and relatives. When we were leaving I thought about all the places I was going to see-—the strange and magical places I had known only from books and pictures. The country I was leaving never to come back was hardly in my head then.
The four years that followed taught me the importance of optimism, but the idea did not come to me at once. For the first two years in New York I was really lost—having to study in three schools as a result of family moves. I did not quite know what I was or what I should be. Mother remarried, and things became even more complex for me. Some time passed before my stepfather and I got used to each other. I was often sad, and saw no end to "the hard times."
My responsibilities in the family increased a lot since I knew English better than everyone else at home. I wrote letters, filled out forms, translated at interviews with Immigration officers, took my grandparents to the doctor and translated there, and even discussed telephone bills with company representatives.
From my experiences I have learned one important rule: almost all common troubles eventually go away! Something good is certain to happen in the end when you do not give up, and just wait a little! I believe that my life will turn out all right, even though it will not be that easy.How did the author get to know America?
| A． From her relatives. | B． From her mother. |
| C． From books and pictures. | D． From radio programs. |
Upon leaving for America the author felt_______.
A. confused B. excited C. worried D amazedFor the first two years in New York, the author _________.
A. often lost her way B. did not think about her future
C. studied in three different schools D got on well with her stepfatherWhat can we learn about the author from Paragraph 4?
A. She worked as a translator. B. She attended a lot of job interviews.
C. She paid telephone bills for her family. D She helped her family with her English.