Last week Adele's second album, 21, sold 257,000 copies in the UK, a sales figure that would look incredible as an opening sales week for any album by any global superstar. The fact that the album was celebrating its 10th week at No.1, and that each of the previous nine weeks it had sold over 100,000 copies, makes what Adele has achieved look miraculous. The last female singer to spend that long at No.1 in the UK was Madonna in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection.
For Adele, the success of 21 is part of a perfect storm of talent, timing and a connection that went beyond gender, age and credibility. But what does it say about the state of the music industry? Does Adele's success signal a return to the MOR(适合大众口味的音乐) musical depression, when the likes of James Blunt dominated the charts? Her success may well lead to a great many similar acts aiming for an MOR audience, but that's more the fault of an industry desperate to recreate any kind of success by creating poor copies until the world shouts "stop now".
What seems to have set Adele apart is her apparent ordinariness, besides that incredible voice. While Gaga parades around in a dress made of meat and Beyonce orbits a world out of touch to the majority of most human beings, Adele's chain-smoking, girl-you'd-like-to-go-to-the-pub-with persona stands out. Even for a British act, her ordinariness goes against trend, with fellow Jessie J adopting a very American habit of over-emoting, talking about a "journey" and making the idea of being a pop star seem fairly difficult.
It's this universality and broad appeal that's helped her translate talent into sales. While the first single from 21, Rolling in the Deep, appealed to Radio 1 listeners and bloggers, the second single, Someone Like You, is so successful that silenced the grand O2 Arena during this year's Brit Awards. The press can write pages and pages in that there's enough of a connection of musicians – Rick Rubin worked on the album, there's a cover of the Cure, Mumford & Sons were an influence – while the gossip magazines have been excited by the fact that the album is one long break-up record, eager to find the ex.
In 1990, Madonna was a global superstar with a back catalogue of era-defining hits to her name. She was untouchable and, tellingly, unknowable. She was (and still is) a megastar, but a megastar of a different age. These days, we want to know a bit more about our artists; that they have relationship problems, walk their dog. Her selling point and appeal is precisely the fact that she exists at the point between everyday ordinariness and pop star.
For now, Adele's success should be celebrated, especially for becoming an unlikely global star on her own terms. The danger is that we're headed for a lot of fairly boring pop, a situation that led to the "birth" of Gaga a few years back. Pop goes in cycles and it feels like we're headed back towards the very middle of MOR.Adele’s achievement seems unbelievable for the reason that ____________.
| A．the sales of her second album achieved an incredible success last week in the UK |
| B．her second album ranked first in a row with the incredible average sales per week |
| C．Madonna was the last female singer in the UK to stay at No. 1 as long as she did |
| D．she is such an ordinary singer with so fascinating a voice in the music industry |
According to the author, the success of Adele’s second album __________________.
| A．to a large extent depends on her apparent talent for music |
| B．is because of her extraordinariness and the wonderful voice |
| C．lies in gift, timing and something beyond sex, age and trust |
| D．is largely due to the state of the music industry currently |
Compared with other female pop stars, what does the author think of Adele?
| A．She stands out in a totally different way from Gaga and Beyonce. |
| B．She and Madonna are contemporary megastars in music. |
| C．Only she and Madonna spent that long at No.1 in the UK. |
| D．Jessie J and she both have an American habit of expressing themselves. |
What helped Adele successfully turned her gift of singing into sales?
| A．Her musical talent. |
| B．The joint work of musicians in the album. |
| C．Her incredible voice. |
| D．Her universality and broad appeal. |
The author thinks that the current musical trend in the UK is _______________.
| A．satisfying | B．disappointing | C．dangerous | D．desperate |
Sarah Williams went to a boarding school．Here is one of the letters she wrote to her parents from the school:
Wentworth Girls’ school
Beachside
July 20th
Dearest Mom and Dad,
I’m afraid I have some very surprising news for you．I have been very naughty and the school headmaster is very angry with me．She is going to write to you．You must come and take me away from here．She does not want me in the school any longer．
The trouble started last night when I was smoking in bed．This is against the rules, of course．We are not supposed to smoke at all．
As I was smoking, I heard footsteps coming towards the room．I did not want a teacher to catch me smoking, so I threw the cigarette away．
Unfortunately, the cigarette fell into the waste-paper basket, which caught fire．
There was a curtain near the waste-paper basket which caught fire, too．Soon the whole room was burning．
The headmaster phoned the fire department．The school is a long way from the town and by the time the fire department arrived, the whole school was on fire．Many of the girls are in hospital．
The headmaster says that the fire was all my fault and you must pay for the damage．She will send you a bill for about a million dollars．
I’m very sorry about this．
Much love,
Sarah
P．S．None of the above is true, but I have failed my exams．I just want you to know how bad things could have been．Why did Sarah tell her parents the story about the fire?
| A．She wanted to worry them |
| B．She wanted to make them laugh |
| C．She wanted to make them less angry at the real news |
| D．She wanted to warn them about what the headmaster was going to do |
The letter before the P．S．was __________．
| A．mostly true | B．partly true |
| C．all true | D．completely untrue |
Sarah said the headmaster was angry because________
| A．she had failed her exams | B．it was her fault that had caused the fire |
| C．he had not made the phone call in time | D．she had been caught smoking in bed |
Labor force is defined as being the total number of people who are available to work and earn income. This definition includes everyone who is employed or seeking paid employment, so it includes employers and the self-employed. Labor is one of the country's resources which can be combined with other resources to produce the goods and services wanted by the community.
Although the size of the workforce depends a great deal on the size of the total population, there are several other influences which also affect it. The age distribution (分布) of the total population has a very marked effect on the available workforce. If the population has a high proportion of very young people or of those too old to work, then the available workforce would be lower than if there were a balanced spread age distribution. If the population naturally grows rapidly, the number of births greatly exceeds (超出) the number of deaths then as a total population increases proportion of the workforce declines.
Sometimes a po
pulation is described as aging which means that the birth rate is either falling or growing very slowly, and as people retire from the workforce there are insufficient numbers of young people entering it to replace those who are leaving it. In that situation the population is top-heavy with older people. So the percentage of the population in the workforce declines when there is either a rapid increase in births or a falling birth rate.
The age distribution of the population has several important effects on the economy. If the population is aging and there is an increase in the number of people retiring without a corresponding increase in the number entering the workforce, this raises the problem of the ability of the economy to provide a reasonable level of social services to the retired group. If the aged are to be cared for in special homes, finance must be available for that purpose. If the size of the workforce is small relative to the total population, then the government tax revenue (税收) is relatively low and either the government has less money available to it or the workforce members have to be taxed more heavily. In the passage “labor
force” is defined as ___________.
| A．people who are available to work and earn income |
| B．self-employed people only |
| C．people who are looking for an employment |
| D．employers who create job opportunities |
The conclusion which can be drawn from the second paragraph is that___________.
| A．a natural growth of population leads to a balanced workforce |
| B．a large population does not necessarily mean a higher proportion of workforce |
| C．the larger the population, the higher the proportion of the workforce |
| D．the workforce will be lower, if the population has a balanced age distribution， |
When a population is said to be aging，___________.
| A．there are more people retiring than those entering the workforce |
| B．the birth rate must be growing |
| C．there should be an oversupply of workforce |
| D．There are more people entering the workforce than those retiring |
The population which is top-heavy with older people ___________ of a country.
| A．leads to the high rate of unemployment |
| B．results in low tax on the workforce members |
| C．affects employees’ incomes |
| D．places pressure on the economy |
Children of all ages love birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo. Where else can you invite real party animals to join in the fun?
Who is invited?
Parties at the Staten Island Zoo are designed for children who are turning 4 years old and older, with a maximum group size of 15 children and 4 adults．Along with your human guests，2-3 live animals will also be invited into your party room. No need for more introductions. By the end of your party, our teachers will make sure everyone is well familiar with their new scaly(有鳞的)，feathery or furry friends．
What is included?
Each party lasts an hour and a half (two hours if pizza is included) and includes live animal demonstration，games or stories，and animal skills．Each member will receive a goodie bag to take home for fun. Besides, birthday invitations will be given to you for giving to your guests．
Birthday party themes
Choose from four different themes：
Animal Tracks
Discover different types of animal’s feet and their purpose．Track some animals and then make a take home plaster mold(石膏模型)．
African Savannah
Join in the fun at exploring the mysteries of the African Savannah．Learn about favorite foods of the Savannah’s people and make an animal mask to enjoy the fun．
Tropical Rainforest
Listen to the sounds of the jungle and find where the animals live．Create a colorful rainforest bird.
Barnyard Friends
Stories, games, activities and crafts will all focus on the differences between wild and domestic animals．Make a small bookmark to use at home．
Costs
Pizza，ice cream cake，juice and party (includes cutlery, paper plates, cups and napkins) --- $370 Staten Island Zoo members／$400 non．Members．
Party only --- $250 Staten Island Zoo members／$275 non．Members What’s special about the birthday parties at the Staten Island Zoo?
| A．There are 19 people in one party at least． |
| B．Parties are intended for those who are just 4 years old． |
C．It is necessary to introduce the s trangers at the parties． |
| D．Live animals will take part in the birthday parties． |
If you choose a theme of Tropical Rainforest，what kind of works of art can you make?
| A．A take-home plaster mold． | B．A colorful rainforest bird． |
| C．An animal mask． | D．A small bookmark to use at home． |
A non-member who only plans to hold a party at the Staten Island Zoo should pay______.
| A．$250 | B．$275 | C．$370 | D．$400 |
What can we learn from the passage?
| A．All birthday parties last one and a half hours． |
| B．We should buy birthday invitations for our guest at the zoo． |
| C．Animals will make a performance at the party． |
| D．Any party member will be given a bag to store rubbish at the party． |
Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t love others until you love yourself. Sometimes you’ll hear people say that you can’t expect someone else to love you until you love yourself. Either way, you’ve got to love yourself first and this can be tricky. Sure we all know that we’re the apple of our parents’ eyes, and that our Grandmas think we’re great talents and our Uncle Roberts think that we will go to the Olympics. But sometimes it’s a lot harder to think such nice thoughts about ourselves. If you find that believing in yourself is a challenge. It is time you build a positive self-image and learn to love yourself.
Self-image is your own mind’s picture of yourself. This image includes the way you look, the way you act, the way you talk and the way you think. Interestingly, our self-images are often quite different from the images others hold about US. Unfortunately, most
of these images are more negative than they should be. Thus changing the way you think about yourself is the key to changing your self-image and your whole world.
The best way to defeat a passive self-image is to step back and decide to stress your successes. That is, make a list if you need to, but write down all of the great things you do every day. Don’t allow doubts to occur in it.
It very well might be that you are experiencing a negative self-image because you can’t move past one flaw or weakness that you see about yourself. Well, roll up your sleeves and make a change of it as your primary task. If you think you’re silly because you aren’t good at math, find a tutor. If you think you’re weak because you can’t run a mile, get to the track and practice. If you think you’re dull because you don’t wear the latest trends, buy a few new clothes. But remember, just because you think it doesn’t mean it’s true.
The best way to get rid of a negative self-image is to realize that your image is far from objective, and to actively convince yourself of your positive qualities. Changing the way you think and working on those you need to improve will go a long way towards promoting a positive self-image. When you can pat（拍）yourself on the back, you’ll know you’re well on your way. Good luck!You need to build a positive self-image when you _________.
| A．dare to challenge yourself | B．feel it hard to change yourself |
| C．are unconfident about yourself | D．have a high opinion of yourself |
How should you change your self-image according to the passage?
| A．To keep a different image of others. | B．To make your life successful. |
| C．To understand your own world. | D．To change the way you think. |
What is the passage mainly about?
| A．How to prepare for your success. | B．How to face challenges in your life. |
| C．How to build a positive self-image. | D．How to develop your good qualities. |
Who are the intended readers of the passage?
| A．Parents. | B．Adolescents. | C．Educators. | D．People in general. |
One day not too long ago the employees of a large company in St. Louis, Missouri returned from their lunch break and were greeted with a sign on the front door. The sign said: “Yesterday the person who has been hindering（阻止）your growth in this company passed away. We invite you to join the funeral in the room that has been prepared in the gym . ”
At first everyone was sad to hear that one of their colleagues had died, but after a while they started getting curious about who this person might be. The excitement grew as the employees arrived at the gym to pay their last respects. Everyone wondered: “Who is this person who was hindering my progress? Well, at least he’s no longer here!”
One by one the employees got closer to the coffin and when then they looked inside it they suddenly became speechless. They stood over the coffin, shocked and in silence, as if someone had touched the deepest part of their soul. There was a mirror inside the coffin: everyone who looked inside it could see himself. There was also a sign next to the mirror that said: “There is only one who is capable to set limits to your growth: it is YOU.”
You are the only person who can revolutionize your life. You are the only person who can influence your happiness, your realization and your success. You are the only person who can help yourself. Your life does not change when your boss changes, when your friends change, when your parents change, when your partner changes, when your company changes. Your life changes when YOU change, when you go beyond your limiting beliefs, when you realize that you are the only one responsible for your life. Who has ever resisted the employees of the large company in St. Louis, Missouri?
| A．The boss | B．The leader of their group |
| C．The sign | D．The employees themselves |
Who passed away in the large company?
| A．No one | B．The boss | C．One of the employees | D．One of the colleagues |
What’s the best title of this paragraph?
| A．Independent | B．Hard Working | C．Team Work | D．Last Respects |