Some people succeed in unbelievable ways.
Roussel was orphaned at the age of eight and went to live with his grandfather. He built on the music he had learned from his mother, entertaining himself by reading through the family music collection and playing his favorite songs on the piano.
Three years later, Roussel’s grandfather died, and his aunt adopted him. Her husband arranged for young Albert to take regular piano lessons. Summer vacations at a Belgian seaside resort added a second love to his life -- the sea. He studied to be a naval cadet (海军学员), but still made time to study music.
In the French Navy, while he served on a warship based at Cherbourg, he and two friends found the time to play the music of Beethoven and other composes (作曲家). Roussel also began composing. At the Church of the Trinity in Cherbourg on Christmas Day 1892, he had his first performance as a composer.
That success encouraged Roussel to write a wedding march, and one of his fellow offices offered to show it to a well-known conductor (指挥家), Edouard Colonne. When Roussel’s friend returned with the manuscript (手稿), he reported that Colonne had advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music.
Not long afterwards, at the age of 25, Roussel did just that. He applied characters that he had developed in the navy to his composing and became a major force in twentieth century French music. As for Eduoard Colonne’s inspiring advice that Roussel devote his life to music, Roussel's navy friend later admitted that he had made it up and that he had never even shown Roussel's manuscript to the conductor.Which of the following shows the right order of the story?
a. Roussel gave up his naval career.
b. Roussel was adopted by his aunt.
c. Roussel read through the family music collection.
d. Roussel had his first performance as a composer in Cherbourg.
| A．c, b, d, a | B．b. c, d, a | C．b, c, a. d | D．c, b, a, d |
What ______ did played the most important part in Roussel's final success.
| A．his mother | B．the husband of his aunt |
| C．his navy friend | D．Edouard Colonne |
We can infer from the article that______.
| A．Roussel's aunt adopted him after his grandfather died. |
| B．Roussel read through the family music collection in his grandfather's. |
| C．Colonne advised Roussel to give up his naval career and devote his life to music. |
| D．If Roussel hadn't joined the navy, he might not have achieved so much. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．A clever musician | B．A white lie |
| C．A helpful conductor | D．A great manuscript |
Sandra Cisneros was born in Chicago in 1954 to a Mexican American family. As the only girl in a family of seven children, she often felt like she had "seven fathers" because her six brothers, as well as her father, tried to control her. Feeling shy and unimportant, she retreated (躲避) into books. Despite her love of reading, she did not do well in elementary school because she was too shy to participate.
In high school, with the encouragement of one particular teacher, Cisneros improved her grades and worked for the school literary magazine. Her father encouraged her to go to college because he thought it would be a good way for her to find a husband. Cisneros did attend college, but instead of searching for a husband, she found a teacher who helped her join the famous graduate writing program at the University of Iowa. At the university's Writers' Workshop, however, she felt lonely—a Mexican American from a poor neighborhood among students from wealthy families. The feeling of being so different helped Cisneros find her "Creative voice".
"It was not until this moment when I considered myself truly different that my writing acquired a voice. I knew I was a Mexican woman, but I didn't think it had anything to do with why I felt so much imbalance in my life, but it had everything to do with it! That's when I decided I would write about something my classmates couldn't write about. "
Cisneros published her first work, The House on Mango Street, when she was twenty-nine. The book tells about a young Mexican American girl growing up in a Spanish-speaking area in Chicago, much like the neighborhoods in which Cisneros lived as a child. The book won an award in 1985 and has been used in classes from high school through graduate school level. Since then, Cisneros has published several books of poetry, a children's book, and a short-story collection. Which of the following is TRUE about Cisneros in her childhood?
| A．She had seven brothers. |
| B．She felt herself a nobody. |
| C．She was too shy to go to school. |
| D．She did not have any good teachers. |
The graduate program gave Cisneros a chance to __________.
| A．work for a school magazine |
| B．run away from her family |
| C．make a lot of friends |
| D．develop her writing style |
According to Cisneros, what played the decisive role in her success?
| A．Her early years in college. |
| B．Her training in the Workshop. |
| C．Her feeling of being different. |
| D．Her childhood experience. |
What do we learn about The House on Mango Street?
| A．It is quite popular among students. |
| B．It is the only book ever written by Cisneros. |
| C．It wasn't successful as it was written in Spanish. |
| D．It won an award when Cisneros was twenty-nine. |
Everything in the universe is made up of atoms, the universe is full of sound and we being part of the universe are therefore full of sound. The world of music and sound has no space and no time or limitations. Sound is one of the initial senses to awaken in the womb (子宫). It brings the intricate (错综复杂的) and awe-inspiring world to us while we live, and is the last sense to leave us as we die.
Everything has a frequency—even our feelings, words and actions carry a frequency. In today's society, we are constantly exposed to an ocean of "foreign" frequencies such as noise pollution, television, radio and so on, which negatively affect our own natural resonance (共振), including our immune system. It is then vital for us to regularly rebalance our energy field in order to remain in good health.
We are responsible for everything we listen to. The power of music and sound can produce beauty and inspiration, or can be destructive, violent and painful. Listening to highly dramatic classical music-especially the kind full of trilling "peaks and valleys"—can cause the brain to arouse the release of endorphins, chemicals that lead to pleasurable feelings. However listening to relaxing music and imagining calm scenes is one of the best ways to ward of migraines (偏头疼) and stress. That's why we see such positive effects from calm music.
The "Mozart effect" studies indicated that one area of cognitive processing increased after listening to this music for a period of time. However, this does lead to speculation that listening to certain types of music will develop and improve mental function. Many people express an increased ability to concentrate when certain background music is played.
Music has nonverbal imaginative, structural and emotional qualities that can inspire and lift a person into a higher reality of health and happiness. Sound stimulates all of the senses and involves a person at many levels. Music and sound therapy is broadly use in the treatment of people of all ages who have problems of a mental, physical, and emotional nature. Listening to and making music reduce heart rate and blood pressures, stimulates various types of brain activity, and provide people with a sense of calmness, safety and even security. According to the passage we can know that __________.
| A．sound can be awakened at an early time |
| B．music has a space people can't surpass |
| C．the frequency has positive influenced on people |
| D．The power of music may reduce inspiration |
In order to remain in good healthy state, we should __________.
| A．often listen to music |
| B．usually do enough exercise |
| C．regularly rebalance our energy |
| D．sometimes adjust to our ability |
The underlined word in the forth paragraph means __________.
| A．thought | B．explanation |
| C．introduction | D．construction |
The statements to music are right except __________.
| A．music can produce inspiration or destruction |
| B．relaxing music can treat migraine |
| C．dramatic classical music can make people excited |
| D．cognitive processing can be reduced by listening to music |
In the therapy, music and sound can treat many problems except __________.
| A．blood pressure | B．distraction |
| C．migraine | D．emotional nature |
Have you ever seen a Kunqu Opera, or heard the beautiful sound of a Guqin? These two traditional Chinese art forms are both included in UNESCO's list of "oral and intangible heritage of humanity" (人类口头和非物质文化遗产). This year, China has selected another art form to compete to join this special group. Muqam (木卡姆), the traditional folk music of Xinjiang's Uygure people will be considered alongside other countries' entries. "The intangible cultural heritage of different countries and different people should be treasured by the world," said Wang Wenzhang, president of the Chinese Academy of Arts.
Known as the "mother of Uygur music", Muqam has a long history. Some scholars believe that its origins can be traced back to the "Great Western Region Melody". This developed during the Han (206 BC—220 AD) and Tang (618 AD—907) dynasties and enjoyed great popularity in central China. In the mid-16th century, the Silk Road connected China and Europe. Xinjiang was at the center of the cultural exchange between east and west. Muqam music was spread across Uygur-populated areas during that time. The queen of Yarkant Kingdom (叶尔羌汗国), whose name was Amannisahan, was a poet and musician. She devoted all her efforts to collecting and sorting Muqam music. With the help of other experts she finally worked out 12 pieces of music, which became the famous Twelve Muqam. When Amannisahan was doing her work, she did not seek materials from the fully developed Arabian and Persian music. Instead, she exploited the rich resources of Uygur folk music that spread across the north and the south of the Tianshan Mountains. As a result, the Twelve Muqam has a strong Uygur flavour.
The Twelve Muqam includes more than 340 classical songs, folk songs, love songs and pieces of dance music and instrumental music. The whole set takes 24 hours to play. Ever since it spread among the Uygurs, the Twelve Muqam has played an important part in their lives. They sing songs and dance to the music. Kurban Mamut, editor-in-chief of a Uygur language magazine, says that he often listened to the Twelve Muqam when he was a child. "The Twelve Muqam helps bring moral ideas to the Uygur children, and gives them a noble and strong personality," he said. After New China was founded, the local government of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region made every effort to preserve the Twelve Muqam. In 1960, two volumes of the Twelve Muqam were published. This finally protected this oral cultural heritage. Over the past two decades, local Xinjinang cultural institutions have supported research projects. A number of books about the Twelve Muqam have been published. CDs, VCDs, and DVDs of the Twelve Muqam have also been made. How many traditional Chinese art forms have been included in UNESCO's list of "oral and intangible heritage of humanity" by now?
| A．two | B．three | C．four | D．five |
According to the article, Muqam dates back to __________.
| A．Great Western Region Melody | B．Arabian and Persian music |
| C．the Twelve Muqam | D．kunqu Opera |
Who do you think it was that made the greatest contribution to the spread of Muqam?
| A．The king of Yarkant kingdom | B．The emperors of Tang dynasty |
| C．Kurban Mamut | D．Amannisahan |
What does the underlined word "This" in the last paragraph refer to?
| A．The Twelve Muqam. | B．Two Volumes of the Twelve Muqam. |
| C．A Uygur magazine. | D．the publishing of the Twelve Muqam. |
What is the best title of this article?
| A．Muqam, an art form of Xinjiang. | B．Please listen to Muqam. |
| C．The Twelve Muqam. | D．An introduction of Uygur folk music. |
A recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education said many foreign students report feeling lonely or unwelcome in Australia. Those feelings are among the reasons why Australia is taking a close look at its international education industry. The government has formed an advisory council to help develop a five-year national strategy for the future of international education in Australia.
But wherever international students go, making friends may not always be easy. The Journal of International and Intercultural Communication recently published a study done in the United States.
Elisabeth Gareis of Baruch College in New York surveyed 454 international students. They were attending four-year colleges and graduate schools in the American South and Northeast.
Students from English-speaking countries and from northern and central Europe were more likely to be happy with their friendships. But 38 percent of the international students said they had no close friends in the United States.
And half of the students from East Asia said they were unhappy with the number of American friends they had. Professor Gareis says 30 percent said they wished their friendships could be deeper and more meaningful.
Elisabeth Gareis said, "Students from East Asia have cultures that are different on many levels from the culture in the United States. But then there's also language problems, and maybe some social skills, such as small talk, that are possibly not as important in their native countries, where it's not as important to initiate friendships with small talk."
She says many East Asian students blamed themselves for their limited friendships with Americans.
VOA's Student Union blogger Jessica Stahl did her own survey to find out how American students and foreign students relate to each other. More than 100 students, about half of them American, answered her online questions.
Half of the international students and 60 percent of the Americans said they related as well or better to the other group than to their own group.
Professor Gareis says students who make friends from their host country return home happier with their experience. What can be the best title for the passage?
| A．International students making friends may not always be easy. |
| B．Australia judges its strategies for the future of international education. |
| C．International students were happy with their friendships. |
| D．Many East Asian students have limited friendships with Americans. |
According to the text, what makes Australia examine its international industry?
| A．A recent study in the Chronicle of Higher Education. |
| B．The feelings of loneliness many foreign students have. |
| C．A survey made by Professor Gareis. |
| D．Her own survey done by blogger Jessica Stahl. |
Which may NOT be the reason why many students from East Asia were unhappy with their friendships?
| A．Different cultures. | B．Language problems. |
| C．Some social skills. | D．Living conditions. |
The word "where" in Paragraph 6 probably refers to __________.
| A．students' home countries |
| B．students' host countries |
| C．the United States |
| D．Australia |
Where do you think this article can be seen?
| A．Newspaper. | B．Journal. |
| C．Textbook. | D．Website. |
Of all the reasons, cloning for medical purposes has the most potential to benefit large numbers of people. How might cloning be used in medicine?
Much of what researchers learn about human disease comes from studying animal models such as mice. Often, animal models are genetically engineered to carry disease-causing mutations (变异) in their genes. Creating these transgenic animals is a time-intensive process that requires trial-and-error and several generations of breeding. Cloning technologies might reduce the time needed to make a transgenic animal model, and the result would be a population of genetically identical animals for study.
Stem cells are the body's building blocks, responsible for developing, maintaining and repairing the body throughout life. As a result, they might be used to repair damaged or diseased organs and tissues. Researchers are currently looking toward cloning as a way to create genetically defined human stem cells for research and medical purposes. To see how this is done, see Creating Stem Cells for Research, a component of the Stem Cells in the Spotlight module.
Farm animals such as cows, sheep and goats are currently being genetically engineered to produce drugs or proteins that are useful in medicine. Just like creating animal models of disease, cloning might be a faster way to produce large herds of genetically engineered animals. Find out more about this research in the feature article Pharming for Farmaceuticals.
Have you seen Jurassic Park? In this feature film, scientists use DNA preserved for tens of millions of years to clone dinosaurs. They find trouble, however, when they realize that the cloned creatures are smarter and fiercer than expected.
In reality? Probably not. It's not likely that dinosaur DNA could survive undamaged for such a long time. However, scientists have tried to clone species that became extinct more recently, using DNA from well-preserved tissue samples.
To clone or not to clone: that is the question. The prospect of cloning humans is highly controversial and raises a number of ethical, legal and social challenges that need to be considered. Of all the reason of cloning, which do people think is the most benefit to people?
| A．Medicine purpose. | B．protecting endangered animal |
| C．Cloning for some families. | D．Purifying human beings |
By the passage we can infer that the side effect people would research human disease using animal models is __________.
| A．the sample is not the same with human |
| B．the sample has less function than human |
| C．the sample often carries disease in the genes |
| D．the results can't adapt to human |
What function do stem cells play in body?
| A．Breeding. | B．Repairing. | C．Replacing. | D．Reproducing. |
According to the passage, which statement of the following is not right?
| A．Cloning animals have achieved now. |
| B．By cloning people can cure some deadly diseases. |
| C．Dinosaurs in the future film are smarter. |
| D．Cloning can bring human only happiness. |
The title of this passage probably is __________.
| A．Why clone? | B．The benefit of cloning. |
| C．Cloned animals. | D．Cloning in the future. |