Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata（奏鸣曲）by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.
Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable .They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn’t even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.
Samuel can’t understand why everyone is so surprised. “I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me ---I hear the notes and can bear them in mind---each and every note,” says Samuel.
Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional pianists can’t play it. Samuel says confidently,” It’s all about super memory---I guess I have that gift.”
However, Samuel’s ability to remember things doesn’t stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.
Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn’t know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.What is special about Samuel Osmond?
| A．He has a gift for writing music. |
| B．He can write down the note he hears. |
| C．He is a top student at the law school. |
| D．He can play the musical piece he hears. |
What can we learn from Paragraph 2?
| A．Samuel chose law against the wish of his parents. |
| B．Samuel planned to be a lawyer rather than a musician. |
| C．Samuel thinks of himself as a man of great musical ability. |
| D．Samuel studies law and music on the advice of his teachers. |
Everyone around Samuel was surprised because he _________.
| A．received a good early education in music |
| B．played the guitar and the piano perfectly |
| C．could play the piano without reading music |
| D．could play the guitar better than his father |
What can we infer about Samuel in Paragraph 4?
| A．He became famous during a special event at his college. |
| B．He is proud of his ability to remember things accurately. |
| C．He plays the piano better than many professional pianists. |
| D．He impressed the audience by playing all the musical pieces. |
Which of the following is the best title of the passage?
| A．The Qualities of a Musician |
| B．The Story of a Musical Talent |
| C．The Importance of Early Education |
| D．The Relationship between Memory and Music. |
Chinese tennis player Li Na didn’t win the Australian Open Championship on Saturday, but she still made the history books.
Li, who lost to Kim Clijsters of Belgium in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 6-3), is the first player from China to make it to a Grand Slam final.
The boss defeated a bit of the feel-good story for China and for Li, who on Thursday defeated No. 1 player Caroline Wozniacki in the semifinals in Melbourne. Li is ranked fifth.
In an interview Li said she was proud of her effort. “I think I play great tennis,” she said. “ I mean, she plays better than me. After the match, I make a joke: tennis should only play one set.”
Bai Yan, a member of China’s men’s national team member and Li Na’s friend, said the loss was disappointing, but still a bright starting point.
“To tell you the truth I feel a little bit down, all of us. But you know she is still the best, and she’s still our hero in everybody’s eyes,” said Bai. “This is just the start.”.
Win or lose, Li’s appearance in the Australian Open finals was seen as a major victory for tennis in China, where badminton and table tennis rules.
Fans across China gathered to watch the match. Li’s mother joined fans at a restaurant in her hometown of Wuhan. In Bejing, fans crowded together to watch China’s national tennis match.
“ Tennis is still relatively a new sport in China,” said Michael Chang, the Chinese-American who was the first Asian grand slam champion, in an interview with CNN. “ To be able to see Li Na have as much success as she has… this could be the start of something very special for tennis in China.”
“Li will definitely change the sport of tennis in China and that is a great thing,” Chang said. What’s the main idea of the passage?
| A．Chinese tennis star Li Na’s tennis career. |
| B．A fierce tennis match at Australian Open. |
| C．Chinese tennis star made history at Australian Open. |
D．Chinese tennis r emained to be tested and challenged. |
Which is true according to the passage?
| A．Li Na’s failure let the Chinese down. |
| B．Li Na ranked fifth at Australian Open. |
C．LI Na’s mother attended the mat ch with her. |
| D．Li Na made a new starting point of China |
What’s the meaning of the u
nderlined words “tennis should only play one set” (Para 4)?
| A．Li Na was not satisfied with the rule of tennis match. |
| B．Li Na was not satisfied with her own performance. |
| C．Li Na had a bad opinion of Clijsters. |
| D．Li Na took pride in her effort. |
According to what Chang said in the last two paragraphs, we can imply that ________.
| A．it’s normal that Li Na failed because tennis is a new sport in China |
| B．Li Na has the advantage to change tennis sport in China |
| C．China still falls behind other countries in tennis sport |
| D．Li Na has great difficulty in defeating others because of weak ability |
“Dinning out” and “eating out” are phrases people use in Britain when they eat in a restaurant or pub（小酒馆）. Eating out is more popular in Britain today than it has ever been. In 2006, for the first time ever, British people spent more eating out than cooking for themselves and eating at ho
me. It seems that many British people are becoming increasingly interested in how good their food tastes, and also how healthy it is.
However, eating out can also be expensive. As British people
do not eat out every night of the week, eating in a restaurant is often seen as a special occasion. When going on a first date and wanting to impress him/ her , or if celebrating an anniversary or a birthday, many people like to go to a restaurant to eat, and people often also eat in a restaurant before going to the cinema or the theater.
As in all cultures, there are many rules of etiquette(礼仪) surrounding food and eating. The knife and fork should be used in the correct way! It is also impolite to have your elbows(肘部) on the dinning table when you are eating.
Almost all British cities have a vast range of food as well as traditional British food, and all from the very cheap to the very expensive---French, Italian, Indian, Chinese, Greek, Thai, Japan and many, many more. In fact, when asked which was their favorite food, more British people said an Indian curry(咖喱菜肴) than any other dish !
As well as dining in a restaurant, when people are too tired to cook after work they often get a “take-away”. This means that they order from a take-out restaurant by telephone, and then go to collect it and take it home to eat. Many take-out restaurants also deliver it your house. While you can normally find a take-out restaurant for almost any food, the most popular are Italian, Indian and Chinese and then all of you have to do is to open the door, pay and eat !On which of the following occasions are British people likely to eat in a restaurant ?
| A．After watching a play. | B．Before watching a movie. |
| C．When they’re too tired to work. | D．When they want to have natural food. |
From the passage we can know that_______.
| A．eating out is not expensive in Britain |
| B．eating at pubs doesn’t have so many rules in Britain |
| C．British people are not aware of nutrition while eating out |
| D．the British spent more eating at home more than eating out |
We can learn from the last two paragraphs that________.
| A．French dishes are very expensive |
| B．take-out restaurants only deliver pizza |
| C．British people are fond of foreign food |
| D．people can eat take-out food first and pay later |
What is the passage mainly about ?
| A．Restaurant culture in Britain. | B．Table manners. |
| C．Traditional British food. | D．Eating and health. |
Ok, I admit it: Emoticons(表情符号) are popular. Some people even think they are fun. Many seem unable to get through an e-mail or Instant Message chat sentence without using one. Some feel that they add feeling and character to otherwise cold digital communications.
Some, however, such as editor and Hollywood scriptwriter John Blumenthal, blast the use of emotions as “ infantile(幼稚的) just like the people who use them”. He believes that words themselves should be enough. “If you’re being funny, happy or sad, that should be apparent from the comment that goes before the emoticons,” he argues.
In the eyes of Blumenthal, the use of emoticons is a gender issue. “Men don’t use emoticons very much. Maybe not at all.,” he said. “Teenage girls and women seem to use them a lot. Maybe there’s an emoticons gene.”
It’s an interesting opinion, but it is not shared by all.
In an interview with The New York Times, Dacher Keltner, professor of psychology at the University of California, said that emoticons are popular because our brains are programmed “
to seek out representations of humanity”. He believes that they appeal not because they are shortcuts for the lazy, but because they tap into（输入）something beyond language. They reach to our need to be with and communicate with people.
All of these arguments may be somehow valid（正确的）. Each one of us will choose to communicate in our own way. I do not have much time for emoticons. I tried to use one once and felt like I was stealing into a primary school class that I had no place being in. I’d rather let my words do the talking.
Friends, however, send me messages and e-mails full of emoticons. I have no problem with this, I don’t regard any of my friends as lazy or immature. It’s just a question of individuality.According to the article, emoticons are popular because_________.
| A．most of them look funny |
| B．they are easy for lazy people to use |
| C．they add feeling and character to a communication |
D．a reader cannot understand a message without the m |
Which of the following views would John Blumenthal agree with ?
| A．Instant Message chatters are childish. |
| B．It’s enough to use language in digital communication. |
| C．Men never use emoticons. |
| D．There is an emoticon gene in everybody. |
From the text, we can conclude that the author________.
| A．feels he has no difficulty using emoticons |
| B．thinks emoticons don’t suit him |
| C．encourage his friends to use emoticons |
| D．believes that emoticons are suitable for everyone |
What is the main point of the article ?
| A．Advice on language used over the Internet. |
| B．The history of emoticons. |
| C．Arguments over the use of emoticons. |
| D．Reasons for the popularity of emoticons. |
Against the supposition（假设）that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia warm the climate, scientists have discovered that cooling may occur in areas where burnt trees allow more snow to mirror more sunlight into space.
This finding suggests that taking steps to prevent northern forest to limit the release of greenhouse gases may warm the climate in northern regions. Usually large fires destroyed forests in these areas over the past decade. Scientists predict that with climate warming, fires may occur more frequently over next several centuries as a result of a longer fire season. Sunlight taken in by the earth tends to cause warming, while heat mirrored back into space tends to cause cooling.
This is the first study to analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate. Earlier studies by other scientists have suggested that fire in northern regions speed up climate warming because greenhouse gases from burning trees and plants are released into the atmosphere and thus trap heat.
Scientists found that right after the fire, large amounts of greenhouse gases entered the atmosphere and caused warming. Ozone（臭氧）levels increased, and ash from the fire fell on far-off sea ice, darkening the surface and causing more radiation from the sun to be taken in. The following spring, however, the land within the area of the fire was brighter than before the fire, because fewer trees covered the ground. Snow on the ground mirrored more sunlight back into space, leading to cooling.
“We need to find out all possible ways to reduce the growth of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.” Scientists tracked the change in amount of radiation entering and leaving the climate system as a result of the fire, and found a measurement closely related to the global air temperature. Typically, fire in northern regions occurs in the same area every 80 to 150 years. Scientists, however, found that when fire occurs more frequently, more radiation is lost from the earth and cooling results. Specifically, they determined when fire returns 20 years earlier than predicated, 0.5 watts per square meter of area burned are soaked up by the earth from greenhouse gases, but 0.9 watts per square meter will be sent back into space. The net effect is cooling. Watts are used to measure the rate at which energy is gained or lost from the earth.According to the new findings, taking steps to prevent northern forest fires may _______.
| A．result in a warming climate |
| B．cause the forest fires to occur more frequently |
| C．lead to a longer fire season |
| D．protect the forests and the environment there |
The following are all the immediate effects after a forest fire EXCEPT _________.
| A．large amounts of greenhouse gases enter the atmosphere |
| B．the levels of ozone which is a type of oxygen increase |
| C．snow on the ground mirrors more sunlight back into space |
| D．ashes from the fire fall on the ice surface and take in more radiation from the sun |
Earlier studies about northern forest fires _________.
| A．analyze all aspects of how northern fires influence climate |
| B．indicate that forest fires will pollute the atmosphere |
| C．suggest that people should take measures to protect environment |
| D．suggest that the fires will speed up climate warming |
The underlined part “soaked up” in the last paragraph most probably means ________.
| A．released | B．absorbed | C．created | D．distributed |
From the passage we can draw a conclusion that forest fires in Alaska, Canada and Siberia may __________.
| A．warm the climate as the supposition goes |
| B．allow more snow to reflect more sunlight into space and thus cool the climate |
| C．destroy large areas of forests and pollute the far-off sea ice |
| D．help to gain more energy rather than release more energy |
One of the most famous buildings in the United States is Carnegie Hall, the home of classical and popular music concerts in New York. Carnegie Hall is known not just for its beauty and history, but also for its amazing sound. It has been said that the hall itself is an instrument. It takes the music and makes it larger than life.
Carnegie Hall is named after Andrew Carnegie, who paid for its construction. He was a wealthy man who also gave a lot of money to schools and public libraries. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890 and the official opening night was on May 5, 1891.
The hall was owned by the Carnegie family until 1924 when it was sold to Robert E. Simon. The building became very old and in 1960, the new owner made plans to destroy it and build an office block. Isaac Stem led a group of people who fought to save Carnegie Hall and finally, the city of New York bought it for $5 million. It was then fixed up between 1983 and 1995.
In 1986, people realized that Carnegie Hall had never kept proper records of its history. Advertisements and stories in newspapers about how Carnegie Hall needed help to recover its history led people to send in old concert programmes and information from all over the world. Over 12,000 concert programmes were received and with these it was possible to make a proper record of Carnegie Hall’s concert history.
Carnegie Hall is actually made up of several different halls, but the Main Hall, now called the Isaac Stern Hall, is the most famous. Most of the greatest performers of classical music since the time the hall was built have performed in the Main Hall, and its reception areas are decorated with signed photographs of these musicians. The hall itself can hold an audience of 2,804 in five levels of seating. Visitors to the top level have to climb up 105 steps to get there!
Because the best and most famous musicians of all time have played at Carnegie Hall, it is the dream of most musicians who want to be great to play there. This has led to a very old joke which is now part of Carnegie Hall’s history. Question: “How do I get to Carnegie Hall?” Answer: “Practise, practise, practise.”What do music lovers expect in Carnegie Hall?
| A．Musical concerts presented by first class performers. |
| B．Exhibits and photographs of historical events. |
| C．Musicians practicing for opportunities to play. |
| D．People dancing merrily at parties. |
What is the correct order of the following events?
a. Robert E. Simon bought it in 1924.
b. Carnegie Hall got its name.
c. Carnegie Hall recovered its history.
d. New York City paid $5,000,000 for it.
e. Construction on Carnegie Hall began in 1890.
| A．a; c; b; d; e; | B．e; d; c; a; b | C．e; b; a; d; c | D．a; e; c; d; b |
How long did it take Carnegie Hall to be fixed up?
| A．9 years. | B．10 years. | C．11 years. | D．12 years. |
How did Carnegie Hall recover its concert history?
| A．Through newspaper reports. |
| B．Through old concert programmes. |
| C．Through old photographs. |
| D．Through old jokes. |
Why do you think the Main Hall is now called the Isaac Stern Hall?
| A．Because Isaac Stern is a famous musician. |
| B．Because Isaac Stern built the Main Hall. |
| C．Because Isaac Stern saved Carnegie Hall. |
| D．Because Isaac Stern made up the Carnegie Hall joke. |