Tabb doesn't look like a typical music teacher. But every weekday evening in the French Quarter New Orleans, he beats out the rhythm on his music stand as students play their chosen instruments.
“I'm doing my best to take young people away from harmful things,” said Tabb. His program, "The Roots of Music”, offers free music education to more than 100 students. He struggles to keep young people on the straight and narrow in the city with the nation's highest murder rate(凶杀率).
Tabb chose to target 9to14yearolds with his program. “That's a very important time in your life,” he said. “If I catch them then, I can hold onto them for at least four or five years and guide them the way that will lead them to success.”
Students meet from 4 pm to 7 pm every weekday, all year round. They work with tutors(助教) on schoolwork, practice their music and eat a hot meal before heading home. With the money provided by some people, Tabb's group is able to provide bus transportation, instruments and food for free. He calls it his “no excuse” policy. “You have no excuse why you're not here,” Tabb said. Tabb owes the success in part to the nature of music. “You're always learning something new,”he said. “That's what keeps the kids coming back every day.”
But the program isn't only about fun. “Music is about discipline (纪律),”said Tabb. He insists on good behavior and keeps kids in order with threats of situps(仰卧起坐), pushups(俯卧撑) or tasks like picking up grains of rice — but these measures aren't just punishment. Tabb wants young people to realize that music can help them build a better future. “I don't say that I'm saving lives,” he said. “I say I'm giving life — a whole different life of music.”The underlined phrase "keep young people on the straight and narrow” may mean ________.
| A．keep young people standing straight |
| B．keep young people on the correct life track(道路) |
| C．keep young people busy performing music |
| D．keep young people away from the dangerous parts of the city |
Which of the following kids may NOT be included in Tabb's program “ The Roots of Music”？
| A．Jack, 8 years old. | B．Tom, 9 years old. |
| C．John, 11 years old. | D．Linda, 13 years old. |
What attracts children to join in the program to learn music?
| A．The free food and transportation. | B．The famous music teacher. |
| C．The chance to learn new things. | D．The strict discipline rules. |
By saying “music is about discipline”, Tabb means ________.
| A．keeping discipline is more important than learning music |
| B．obeying(遵守) rules is important in playing music well |
| C．music is also connected with kids' grades |
| D．kids can learn how to behave through music |
What is the main idea of this passage?
| A．Tabb's program offers young people help. |
| B．Kids improve grades through music learning. |
| C．Tabb offers kids free food to learn music. |
| D．Tabb performs music for street children. |
After spending a year in Brazil on a student exchange program, her mother recalled, Marie Colvin returned home to find that her classmates had narrowed down their college choices. “Everyone else was already admitted to college,” her mother, Rosemarie Colvin, said from the family home. “So she took our car and drove up to Yale and said, ‘You have to let me in.’”
Impressed—she was a National Merit(全国英才) finalist who had picked up Portuguese in Brazil—Yaledid, admitting her to the class of 1978, where she started writing for The Yale Daily News “and decided to be a journalist,” her mother said.
On Wednesday, Marie Colvin, 56, an experienced journalist for The Sunday Times of London, was killed as Syrian forces shelled the city of Homs. She was working in a temporary media center that was destroyed in the attack.
“She was supposed to leave Syria on Wednesday”, Ms. Colvin said. “Her editor told me he called her yesterday and said it was getting too dangerous and they wanted to take her out. She said she was doing a story and she wanted to finish it. ”
Ms. Colvin said it was pointless to try to prevent her daughter from going to conflict zones. “If you knew my daughter,” she said, “it would have been such a waste of words. She was determined, she was enthusiastic about what she did, it was her life. There was no saying ‘Don’t do this.’ This is who she was, absolutely who she was and what she believed in: cover the story, not just have pictures of it, but bring it to life in the deepest way you could.” So it was not a surprise when she took an interest in journalism, her mother said. From the underlined sentence in Paragraph 1 we can infer that .
| A．Yale University was her last choice |
| B．Yale must keep its promise to Marie |
| C．Marie Colvin was confident of herself |
| D．Marie Colvin was good at persuading |
Marie Colvin’s story suggests some of the best qualities of being a journalist are .
| A．patience and confidence |
| B．honesty and curiosity |
| C．flexibility and creativity |
| D．determination and courage |
Which of the following is the correct order to describe Marie Colvin’s life?
a. She was doing a story in Syria and got killed.
b. She was admitted to Yale University.
c. She studied in Brazil as an exchange student.
d. She was hired by The Sunday Times of London.
e. She began to take an interest in journalism.
| A．d→e→c→a→b | B．c→b→e→d→a |
| C．e→d→c→b→a | D．b→c→d→e→a |
What can be the best title of the text?
| A．Covering Stories in a Dangerous Conflict Area |
| B．Applying for Top Universities, a Successful Case |
| C．Recalling Her Daughter, a Journalist Killed in Syria |
| D．Choosing Lifelong Careers Based on Your Own Interest |
TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010
Frequently Asked Questions
What is TEENSGIVING?
TEENSGIVING is an exciting yearly event where hundreds of New York City teens gather together annually for a remarkable day of community service. This year, TEENSGIVING in SRING 2010 participants will once again better New York City and impact thousands of lives!
When is TEENSGIVING in SPRING2010?
SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010
Where is TEENSGIVING?
All over New York City. Everyone will meet at the 92nd Street Y (92nd and Lexington) at 9:00 AM for the event kick-off. Then, all TEENSGIVING volunteers will disperse across the city to work with our partnering agencies where they will make a HUGE difference and have fun!
Who participates in TEENSGIVING?
Hundreds of teenagers from around the city. Teens come from the 92nd Street Y, various city schools, youth groups, and organizations in the area. In addition, many adult volunteers (aged 21 and older) will donate their time to TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010.
What projects do participants do at the agencies?
Sample projects include painting park benches, plantinggardens,visitingand playing with underprivileged children, assembling craft kits for children in hospitals, assisting at animal shelters, working at soup kitchens, delivering meals and celebrating with families at homeless shelters.
Do I get anything for participating in TEENSGIVING?
Yes! Everybody benefits! Teen volunteers willreceive*6hours*ofcommunity service credit, goodtowardshonorsociety,highschoolgraduationandcollege application requirements. Adult volunteers will be “thanked” with a light breakfast, a gift certificatefor their troubles, and the satisfactionofhelping our city’s youth contribute to their community. In addition, all teen and adult volunteers will receive a cool TEENSGIVING in SPRING 2010 T-shirt.
This sounds awesome! How do I register for TEENSGIVING in SPRING2010? Interested teens and/or adults should e-mail the TEENSGIVING Coordinator Josh Hyman at jhyman@92Y.org(subjet:TEENSGIVING) to receive more information and to register for this fantastic event!
**Teenscanalsocontacttheirschool’sCommunityServiceAdvisor**
TEENSGIVINGissponsoredbythe92ndStreetY.TEENSGIVINGisaneventwhichisheld______.
| A．fromtimetotime | B．onceeveryyear |
| C．everytwoyears | D．twiceayear |
TeenagersmaydoallthefollowingintheeventEXCEPT____
| A．wateringflowers |
| B．cooking |
| C．cleaningstreets |
| D．takingcareofanimals |
Anadultvolunteermayget____forhistimedevotedtoTEENSGIVINGinSPRING2010.
| A．communityservicecreditandaT-shirt |
| B．ahighschoolcertificateandalightbreakfast |
| C．aT-shirtandagiftcertificate |
| D．agiftcertificateandcommunityservicecredit |
Thewriter’spurposeinwritingthispassageisto_______.
| A．informreadersofsomefrequentlyaskedquestions |
| B．introduceTEENSGIVINGinSPRING2010toreaders |
| C．encouragereaderstoaskmorequestionsaboutTEENSGIVING |
| D．callonreaderstoparticipateinTEENSGIVINGinSPRING2010 |
A few days ago I got a call from my old college friend whom I haven’t seen for a very long time. The topic, which was about all the good old times that we had changed to a touching story when he started talking about his father.
His father’s declining health made him stay at the hospital. Because of his illness, his father suffered from insomnia (失眠) and often talked to himself. My friend, who had not been able to sleep for a few days as he had to keep watching his father’s condition, became irritated and told his father to keep silent and try to get some sleep. His father said that he really wanted to sleep well because he was very tired and told my friend to leave him alone in the hospital if he did not want to keep him company.
After his father finished talking, he fell unconscious (失去知觉). My friend was very sorry for speaking the ill words towards his father. My friend, whom I knew as a tough person, cried as a baby on the other end of the telephone. He said that from that moment on, he prayed every day, asking God to let his father wake up from his coma. He promised himself that whatever words came out from his father’s mouth after he regained his consciousness, he would gladly take them. His only hope for God was to give him a chance to rectify his past mistake.
Often, we complain when we have to accompany or watch over our parents for years, months, days, hours or even minutes. But do we realize that our parents keep us company and watch over us for as long as we (or they) live? From the day we were born to our adulthood, and even when deaths come to us, they are always at our side.
Imagine how sad our parents will be when they hear a seemingly innocent word of “no” come out from our mouths. We can make promises to ourselves that from now on there will be no more complaints that come out from our mouths when we have to watch over or accompany our parents. No more complaints come out from our mouths when we feel that our parents have treated us like little children. There are so many unlucky ones who have neither fathers nor mothers. They long to have the things that we most complain about, but never have them.
Actually, it takes only a second to think and light the lamp that will bring us to a place where peace is dwelling.Which of the following word can be used to describe the writer’s friend?
| A．Sad | B．Sorry | C．Regretful | D．Pitiful |
What does the underlined word “rectify” mean in Para. 3?
| A．put…right | B．recite…by heart | C．realize | D．recognize |
What does the writer want to tell us in the passage?
| A．Your parents will keep talking to themselves when they are old. |
| B．Be good to your parents when you still have the chance. |
| C．You will regret in your life if you don’t show your kindness to your parents. |
| D．It is not easy to take good care of sick old parents. |
Bardithch High School decided to have an All-School Reunion. Over 450 people came to the event. There were tours of the old school building and a picnic at Confederate Park. Several former teachers were on hand to tell stories about the old days. Ms. Mabel Yates, the English teacher for over fifty years, was wheeled to the Park.
Some eyes rolled and there were a few low groans (嘟囔声) when Ms. Yates was about to speak. Many started looking at their watches and coming up with excuses to be anywhere instead of preparing to listen to a lecture from an old woman who had few kind words for her students and made them work harder than all the other teachers combined.
Then Ms. Yates started to speak:
“I can’t tell you how pleased I’m to be here. I haven’t seen many of you since your graduation, but I have followed your careers and enjoyed your victories as well as crying for your tragedies. I have a large collection of newspaper photographs of my students. Although I haven’t appeared in person, I have attended your college graduations, weddings and even the births of your children, in my imagination. ”
Ms. Yates paused and started crying a bit. Then she continued:
“It was my belief that if I pushed you as hard as I could, some of you would succeed to please me and others would succeed to annoy me. Regardless of our motives, I can see that you have all been successful in your chosen path.”
“There is no greater comfort for an educator than to see the end result of his or her years of work. You have all been a great source of pleasure and pride for me and I want you to know I love you all from the bottom of my heart.”
There was a silence over the crowd for a few seconds and then someone started clapping. The clapping turned into cheering, then into a deafening roar (呼喊). Lawyers, truck drivers, bankers and models were rubbing their eyes or crying openly with no shame all because of the words from a long forgotten English teacher from their hometown.What activity was organized for the school reunion?
| A．Sightseeing in the park |
| B．A picnic on the school playground |
| C．Telling stories about past events |
| D．Graduates’ reports in the old building |
What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?
| A．Some graduates were too busy to listen to Ms. Yates’ speech |
| B．Many graduates disliked Ms. Yates’ ways of teaching |
| C．Some people got tired from the reunion activities |
| D．Most people had little interest in the reunion |
We can learn from Ms. Yates’ speech that she _________.
| A．kept track of her students’ progress |
| B．gave her students advice on their careers |
| C．attended her students’ college graduations |
| D．went to her students’ wedding ceremonies |
Which of the following can best describe Ms. Yates?
| A．Reliable and devoted |
| B．Tough and generous |
| C．Proud but patient |
| D．Strict but caring |
Facial expressions carry meaning that is determined by situations and relationships. For example, in American culture the smile is in general an expression of pleasure. Yet it also has other uses. A woman’s smile at a police officer does not carry the same meaning as the smile she gives to a young child. A smile may show love or politeness. It can also hide true feelings. It often causes confusion (困惑) across cultures. For example, many people in Russia consider smiling at strangers in public to be unusual and even improper. Yet many Americans smile freely at strangers in public places (although this is less common in big cities). Some Russians believe that Americans smile in the wrong places; some Americans believe that Russians don’t smile enough. In Southeast Asian cultures, a smile is frequently used to cover painful feelings. Vietnamese people may tell a sad story but end the story with a smile.
Our faces show emotions (情感), but we should not attempt to “read” people from another culture as we would “read” someone from our own culture. The fact that members of one culture do not express their emotions as openly as do members of another does not mean that they do not experience emotions. Rather, there are cultural differences in the amount of facial expressiveness permitted. For example, in public and in formal situations many Japanese do not show their emotions as freely as Americans do. When with friends, Japanese and Americans seem to show their emotions similarly.
It is difficult to generalize about Americans and facial expressiveness because of personal and cultural backgrounds in the United States. People from certain cultural backgrounds in the United States seem to be more facially expressive than others. The key is to try not to judge people whose ways of showing emotion are different. If we judge according to our own cultural habits, we may make the mistake of “reading” the other person incorrectly.What does the smile usually mean in the U.S.?
| A．Love | B．Politeness | C．Joy | D．Thankfulness |
The author mentions the smile of the Vietnamese to prove that a smile can ________.
| A．show friendliness to strangers |
| B．be used to hide true feelings |
| C．be used in the wrong places |
| D．show personal habits |
What should we do before attempting to “read” people?
| A．Learn about their relations with others |
| B．Understand their cultural backgrounds |
| C．Find out about their past experience |
| D．Figure out what they will do next |
What would be the best title for the test?
| A．Cultural Differences |
| B．Smiles and Relationships |
| C．Facial Expressiveness |
| D．Habits and Emotions |