Country music is one of the most popular kinds of music in the United States today because it is about simple but strong human feelings and events-love, sadness, good times, and bad times. It tells real-life stories and sounds the way people really talk, as life becomes more complicated (复杂的) it is good to hear music about ordinary people.
Country music, sometimes called country-western, comes from two lands of music. One is the traditional music of the people in. the Appalachian Mountains in the eastern United States. The other is traditional cowboy music from the west. The singers usually play guitars, and in the 1920s they started using electric guitars.
At first city people said country music was low class. It was popular mostly in the South. But during World War II, thousands of Southerners went to the northeast and Midwest to work in the factories. They took their music with them. Soldiers from the rest of the country went to army camps in the South. They learned country music. Slowly it became popular all over the country.
Today country music is also popular everywhere in the United States and Canada—in small tows and in New York City, among black and white, and among educated and uneducated people. About 1,200 radio stations broadcast country music twenty-four hours day, English stars sing it. In British English, and people in other countries sing it in their own languages. The music that started with cowboys and poor southerners is now popular all over the world.It can be learned from the passage that country music comes from_____.
| A．the northeast and Midwest |
| B．factories and army camps in the South |
| C．the Appalachian Mountains and the West |
| D．real-life stories in small towns |
During World War II many Southerners went to the Northeast and the Midwest because______.
| A．they wanted to take music with them |
| B．they wanted to make other people like country music |
| C．they wanted to work in the factories there |
| D．they wanted to make country music popular |
Country music is one of the most popular kinds of music in the world today because _______.
| A．many people said it was low class |
| B．people could sing it in different languages |
| C．it started with cowboys and poor Southerners |
| D．It is loved by different kinds of people in the world |
Which of the following is true according to the passage?
| A．Country music is sung by stars all in English. |
| B．Country music is about human feelings and events. |
| C．Country music is only popular with city people today. |
| D．The singers started using electric guitars in the 1930s. |
A
On Aug.11 shopper Jenni Ware bought 207 dollars' worth of groceries at Trader Joe's and when she was waiting to pay,she realized that she had lost her wallet.Carolee Hazard,who was in line behind her,offered to pay the bill!Jenni later sent Carolee a check for 300 dollars,and suggested that Carolee treat herself to a massage with the cash leftover.
Carolee turned to her online Facebook group for advice on what she should do with the 93 dollar gift.The idea Carolee chose was to give it to a local food bank.
Carolee not only sent in the money that Jenni had given her to Second Harvest Food Bank,but matched that amount herself.So did a Facebook friend.And another,and another.So far,over 10,000 dollars have come in from people in many countries to feed the hungry through local food banks.
Carolee has started the "93 Dollar Club" on Facebook,where people across the globe can read the story and comment on it.There are links on that page which people may use to give money to a food bank close to them.Carolee says,"It's been amazing to see this grow and how excited people are getting.I have told the story to my friends and they say it encourages them to do good immediately."
Carolee and Jenni are no longer strangers.They've become Facebook freinds and they've made a real_world connection that will likely stay with them for the rest of their lives.
Junni remembers that she was in a "bad mood" that day in the grocery store,and Carolee's help reminded her that there are good people in the world.Jenni said,"It's just a reminder that there are these amazingly kind people out there.And it also reminds me of hwo good I want to be."Why did Carolee offer to pay for the groceries?
| A．Carolee and jenni were Facebook friends. |
| B．Carolee wanted to set up the “93 Dollar club” |
| C．Jenni was Carolee’s neighbor. |
| D．Caroleewas always ready to help others. |
How much money did Carolee send in to Second Harvest Food Bank?
| A．＄93 | B．＄186 | C．＄207 | D．＄300 |
Caroleedry set up the “93 Dollar club” to_____
| A．Help people make Facebook friends |
| B．Make her story known to people across the globe |
| C．Call on people to donate money for hungry |
| D．Make herself known to the public |
It can be inferred from jenni’s words that ____
| A．She believes there are many kind people in the world |
| B．She does not believe in humanity |
| C．She doubts whether she can become a kind person |
| D．She believes Carolee will be her life-long friend |
D
The Philippines was mourning the passing of Dr. Alejandro R. Roces on May 23, 2011. Dr. Roces is an outstanding artist, historian, educator and essayist.
Dr. Roces, popularly known as “Anding”, was Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1965. During his term, he led the campaign to change Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, recovered Dr. Jose P. Rizal’s scripts, which had been stolen from the National Archives, and led the change from English to Filipino(菲律宾语) on the country’s stamps and currency. He was chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board(影视评论和分类委员会) in 2001, and also served the country in many other important positions.
“Anding”came from the noble Roces group of publishers, known for their humane（人道的）deeds. Born on July 13, 1924 in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, he studied at Arizona State University for a degree in fine arts. He achieved his master’s degree in arts from Far Eastern University, and received an honourary doctorate(博士学位) from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
His literary works reflect the country’s rich culture, history, and traditions. He received numerous awards for his great contribution to his country and people, such as the Diwang Lahi Award in 1966. He was also honoured by several countries, such as the Federal Republic of Germany, Spain, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand and China.
Our people bid farewell to this great man, Dr. Alejandro R. Roces. May he rest in peace.Which of the following is NOT true about Dr. Roces?
| A．He made a great contribution to his country and people. |
| B．He was a man with a great longing for knowledge. |
| C．He was honoured both by his own and other countries. |
| D．He wrote numerous works about Spain’s culture and traditions. |
Which of the following is the CORRECT order of Dr. Roces’ achievements?
a. He won the Diwang Lahi Award.
b. He served as Secretary of Education.
c. He gained a degree in fine arts at Arizona State University.
d. He became chairman of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board.
| A．badc | B．dacb | C．cbad | D．cabd |
Which of the following was NOT a contribution of Dr. Roces as Secretary of Education?
| A．Changing the Independence Day of his country to June 12. |
| B．Writing many works about his country’s history. |
| C．Getting back the stolen scripts of Dr. Jose P. Rizal. |
| D．Getting Filipino printed on the stamps and currency. |
C
Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, is an impressive deed for anyone, but especially for one man who reached the 19,340-foot peak without the use of his legs.
Chris Waddell, 43, broke his back in a skiing accident while at college in Vermont in 1988. The athlete was left paralysed from the waist down, but never gave up sports. During one sports meeting for the disabled, Waddell was the top male skier, winning 12 medals in four events. Not content with this achievement, Waddell decided to climb the highest mountain in Africa with his arms.
The adventurer began the climb with seven teammates and 60 porters, who provided support and placed boards across gaps. Despite the difficulties, the group completed the 30-mile hike from rainforest to glacier in an impressive six and a half days ---- just a couple of days longer than most able-bodied hikers.
He certainly inspired a student, Brandon Gell, after speaking at Horace Greeley High School in New York. Gell said,“I began thinking of the difficulties in my life, and they seemed unimportant. Waddell’s determination and struggles inspire me to push my own limits.”
Waddell says,“A revolution begins with something small and leads to something big ---- one turn of the crank(曲轴) can lead to peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and one word to a child can change the nature of that child’s perceptions(洞察力).”The underlined words, “was left paralysed”, in the second paragraph means ________.
| A．was given scars |
| B．became hurt deeply |
| C．was not able to bend |
| D．became unable to move |
Which of the following about Chris Waddell in NOT true?
| A．He never gave up as an athlete. |
| B．He was not satisfied with the achievement of winning 12 medals. |
| C．He can climb faster than most able-bodied climbers. |
| D．He reached the peak of Mt. Kilimanjaro without using his legs. |
According to the passage, 60 porters went with Chris Waddell in order to _____.
| A．guarantee his safety |
| B．carry him across gaps |
| C．carry him up the mountain |
| D．put down boards to let him cross gaps |
For Brandon Gell, the story of Chris Waddell is _______.
| A．tragic | B．dramatic |
| C．inspiring | D．romantic |
B
The Frog and The Crane
In the heart of the woods there lay a cool, green pond. The shores of the pond were set with ranks of tall bulrushes(芦苇) that waved crisply in the wind, and in the shallow bays there were fleets of broad water lily leaves. Among the rushes and reeds and in the quiet water there dwelt a large tribe of Frogs.
On every warm night of spring, the voices of the Frogs arose in a cheerful chorus. Some voices were low and deep---these were the oldest and wisest of the Frogs; at least, they were old enough to have learned wisdom. Some were high and shrill, and these were the voices of the little Frogs who did not like to be reminded of the days when they had tails and no legs.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" croaked（哇哇叫） a very large frog, sitting in the shade of a water lily leaf.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" replied another voice from the opposite bank.
"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!" boasted a third old Frog from the furthest shore of the pond.
Now a long-legged white Crane was standing near by, well hidden by the coarse grass that grew at the water's edge. He was very hungry that evening, and when he heard the deep voice of the first frog ,he made a quick pass under the broad leaf with his long, cruel bill. The old Frog gave a frightened croak, and kicked violently in his efforts to get away.
The Crane almost had him, when something cold and slimy wound itself about one of his legs. He drew back for a second, and the Frog got safely away! But the Crane did not lose his dinner after all, for about his leg was curled a large black water snake, and that made a fair meal.
Now he rested awhile on one leg, and listened. The first Frog was silent, but from the opposite bank the second Frog croaked boastfully:"Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!"
The Crane began to be hungry again. He went round the pond , trying to catch the second frog..
Just as he drew closer to the frog, the Crane saw something that made him let go. a mink(水貂) had crept very close to the Crane, hoping to seize him at his meal! So the second Frog got away too; but he was so dreadfully frightened that he never spoke again.
After a long time the Crane got over his fright and he became very hungry once more. The pond had been still so long that many of the Frogs were singing their pleasant chorus, and above them all there boomed the deep voice of the third and last Bullfrog, saying: "Kerrump! kerrump! I'm chief of this pond!"
The Crane determined to silence him once for all. He croaked and struggled in vain. But just then a Fox crept up behind the Crane and seized him! The Crane let go the Frog and was carried off screaming into the woods for the Fox's supper. So the third Frog got away; but he was badly lamed by the Crane's strong bill, and he never dared to open his mouth againWhy didn’t the crane catch the first frog?
| A．Because the frog kicked too violently. |
| B．Because something would itself around the crane’s leg. |
| C．Because the crane was distracted by another frog. |
| D．Because the frog was frightened away by the noise of the crane. |
According to the passage, the crane ______.
| A．ate nothing that night |
| B．got hurt three times |
| C．let all the three frogs get away |
| D．didn’t dare to catch the frogs in the end |
What can we infer from the passage?
| A．It is dangerous living in the woods. |
| B．A wise person always keeps silent. |
| C．Be careful when you are close to your goal. |
| D．Never be proud, even if you have done well. |
Where can we probably find this passage?
| A．In a children’s book |
| B．In an introduction to animals |
| C．In a book about dangers in the woods |
| D．In a book full of information about ponds. |
阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
A
The new species of monkey was officially unveiled in a scientific journal last week.
The animal kingdom has a new member. On September 12, researchers unveiled（揭开）to the world a newly discovered species of monkey. The primate(灵长类动物) is called the lesula, short for its Latin name, Cercopithecus lomamiensis. The lesula is only the second monkey species discovered in 28 years.
Meet the Lesula
Scientists first saw the lesula in June 2007 in the town of Opala in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The Democratic Republic of Congo, often called the DRC, is located in Central Africa. The lesula lives in the lowland rainforests of central DRC. The monkey found in Opala was the pet of a local family. Researchers say the species was already well known to hunters. The found additional lesulas in the wild.
The lesula has been compared to another species of monkey calledCercopithecus hamlyni, better known as the owl-faced monkey. This animal earns its name for having a long, flat nose and a face that that looks like that of an owl. The lesula and the owl-faced monkey are similar in size and both have a stripe on their nose. These new findings on the lesula prove that the two monkeys are close relatives, but different species. Scientists say the lesula usually weighs about 12 pounds and measures about 20 inches. It has a mane of long blond hair and a cream-colored stripe running down its nose. The lesula eats a vegetarian diet. Its habitat extends nearly 11,000 square miles across the DRC’s eastern central basin.
Robert Kityo is a zoology professor at Uganda’s Makerere University. He says that the lesula discovery is proof that the eastern central basin is filled with species yet to be discovered. This new find also creates awareness about the importance of preserving, or protecting, African rainforests. Many forests are threatened by illegal logging and hunting. Preserving these rainforests allows new species like the lesula to continue to grow and change.The monkey found in Opala __________.
| A．was the only living lesula |
| B．got lost from its group |
| C．was raised by a local family |
| D．was unknown to the hunters |
Why was the Cercopithecus hamlyni called the owl-faced monkey?
| A．It has the same color as owl. |
| B．Its face looks like that of an owl. |
| C．It eats the same diet as owls. |
| D．It has the same strip on its nose as owls. |
What has been found about the lesula and the owl-faced monkey?
| A．They were found in the same area. |
| B．They belong to the same species. |
| C．They are close relatives. |
| D．Both of them eat a vegetarian diet. |
The lesula discovery indicates that _______.
| A．many species remain to be discovered in eastern central basin |
| B．illegal logging and hunting are the main threats to African rainforests |
| C．effective measures should be taken to control the exploration of the African rainforests |
| D．African rainforests are disappearing gradually because of lack of protection |