At present we will explain a very old saying that has had a great effect on rock-and-roll music. That saying is “A rolling stone gathers no moss(苔藓)”.It has several meanings. One meaning is that a person who never settles down in one place will not be successful. Another is that someone who is always moving, with no roots in one place, avoids responsibilities.
This proverb was said to be first used in the 1500s. But in the 1960s, the expression “rolling stone” became famous in the world of rock-and-roll music. It became the name of a song, a rock group and a magazine.
Experts say it all started with a song by the American singer and guitarist Muddy Waters. He was one of the country's top blues musicians until his death in 1983. His music influenced singers like Elvis Presley and Bob Dylan. In 1950, Muddy Waters recorded a song called “Rolling Stone”.
A British rock group is said to have taken its name from Muddy Waters' song. The Rolling Stones performed for the first time in 1962.The group's members called themselves “the world's greatest rock-and-roll band”.
In 1965, Bob Dylan released (发行)his song “Like a Rolling Stone”.It is one of his best known and most influential works.
It is an angry song about a woman who was once rich and successful. But now she is on her own, “with no direction home, like a complete unknown, like a rolling stone”.
In 1967, a young man named Jann Wenner started a magazine and he named it “Rolling Stone”. The magazine reported on rock music and the popular culture that the music created. By 1971, “Rolling Stone” had become the leading rock music and counterculture publication. It is still popular today.All of them are musicians except ________.
A.Jann Wenner | B.Muddy Waters |
C.Elvis Presley | D.Bob Dylan |
Which person can be described as a rolling stone according to the proverb?
A.A person who has a successful career. |
B.A person who always changes his jobs. |
C.A person who is out of work. |
D.A person who has no family. |
Who first used “rolling stone” as a name for music?
A.Elvis Presley. | B.Jann Wenner. |
C.Muddy Waters. | D.Bob Dylan. |
Sociologists(社会学家), working in western countries, have found that a large number of women wished they had been born men. The number is said to be as high as 60% in Germany.
"Women often wish they had the same chances as men have, and think it is still men's world. " said Dr. James Helen, one of the sociologists who did the study.
Many men say that they have more duties than women. A man has to make money to support his family and to make the important decision, so it is right for men to be paid more. Some are even against their wives working at all. When wives go out to work, they say, the home and children cannot be taken good care of. If women take full-time jobs, they won't be able to do what they are best at doing: making a nice home and bringing up the children.
Some women disagree. They say they want to get out of their homes and to have freedom to choose between work and home life. Women have the right of equal pay and equal chances.
Anne Harper has a very good job. She also believes in "Women's Liberation", "I don't wish I were a man," she says, "and I don't think many women do. But I do wish people would stop treating us like second-class people. At work, for example, we usually do the work that men do but get paid less. There are still a lot of jobs only to men—usually they are the best ones. If you are a man, you have a much better chance of living a wonderful life. How many women scientists are there…or engineers?"Many men think ______.
A.women can't do what men can |
B.men have to work much harder than women |
C.men can make money more easily than women |
D.women's duty is mainly to do housework at home |
Some women have different ideas. They say that ______.
A.women need chances to go out of the home more often |
B.women want more freedom in deciding the kind of life they want |
C.if women are given equal pay, they can do everything instead of men |
D.women are no longer interested in taking care of their homes |
Anne Harper thought that ______.
A.women should live a better life than men |
B.women should be really liberated |
C.women should be given better jobs than men |
D.women should live a more wonderful life than men |
Good afternoon, and welcome to England. We hope that your visit here will be a pleasant one. Today, I would like to draw your attention to a few of our laws.
The first one is about drinking. Now, you may not buy alcohol in this country if you are under 18 years of age, nor may your friends buy it for you.
Secondly, noise. Enjoy yourselves by all means, but please don't make unnecessary noise, particularly at night. We ask you to respect other people who may wish to be quiet.
Thirdly, crossing the road. Be careful. The traffic moves on the left side of the road in this country. Use pedestrian crossing and do not take any chances when crossing the road. My next point is about litter(throwing away waste material in a public place). It is an offence to drop litter in the street.
When you have something to throw away, please put it in your pocket and take it home, or put it in a litter bin. Finally, as regards smoking, it is against the law to buy cigarettes or tobacco if you are under 16 years of age.
I'd like to finish by saying that if you require any sort of help or assistance, you should contact your local police station, who will be pleased to help you.
Now, are there any questions?The main purpose of this speech would be to ______.
A.prepare people for international travel |
B.declare the laws of different kinds |
C.give advice to travelers to the country |
D.inform people of the punishment for breaking laws |
How many laws are there discussed in the speech?
A.Three. | B.Four. | C.Five. | D.Six. |
From the speech we learn that ______.
A.in this country, if you are under 18 years of age, you may not buy alcohol, but your friend can buy it for you |
B.you may not buy cigarettes or tobacco unless you are above 16 years of age |
C.because the traffic moves on the left side of the road, you must use pedestrian crossings when crossing the road |
D.you can't make noise except at night |
A man named Smith was sitting on his roof during a flood, and the water was up to his feet. Before long a fellow in a canoe passed and shouted, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"
"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me."
Soon the water rose to Smith's waist. At this point a motor boat pulled up and someone called out, "Can I give you a lift to higher ground?"
"No, thanks, I have faith in God and he will save me."
Later a helicopter flew by, and Smith was now standing on the roof with water up to his neck. "Grab the rope, "shouted the pilot. "I'll pull you up."
"No, thanks," said Smith. "I have faith in God and he will save me. "But after hours of struggling with water, poor exhausted Smith drowned and went to his reward. As he arrived at the Pearly Gates, Smith met God and complained about this. "Tell me, God, "he said, "I had such faith in you to save me and you let me drown. What happened?"
To which God replied, "What do you want from me? I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
When the pilot asked Smith to grab the rope, ______.
A.Smith pulled the pilot up | B.Smith did so |
C.Smith didn't do so | D.Smith didn't hear him |
At last, poor exhausted Smith drowned and ______.
A.went to his reward | B.passed away |
C.went to heaven | D.all of the above |
What do we know about Smith? ______.
A. He was a lazy man
B. He was a lucky man who believed in God
C. He was a poor manWhat do you think of this passage? This passage is very ______.
A. moving B. humorous C. depressing D. surprising
D. He was a silly man who believed in God
Any mistake made in the printing of a stamp raises its value to stamp collectors. A mistake on one inexpensive postage stamp has made the stamp worth a million and a half times its original value.
The mistake was made more than a hundred years ago in the British colony of Mauritius, a small island in the Indian Ocean. In 1847 an order for stamps was sent to a London printer — Mauritius was to become the fourth country in the world to issue stamps.
Before the order was filled and delivered, a ball was planned at Mauritius’ Government House, and stamps were needed to send out the invitations. A local printer was instructed to copy the design for the stamps. He accidentally inscribed the words “Post Office” instead of “Post Paid” on the several hundred stamps that he printed.
Today there are only twenty-six of these misprinted stamps left fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds and twelve Two Penny Blues. Because of the Two Penny Blue’s rareness and age, collectors have paid as much as $16 800 for it.Over a century ago, Mauritius _______.
A.was an independent country |
B.belonged to India |
C.was one of the British colonies |
D.was a small island in the Pacific Ocean |
The mistake on the stamps was made _______.
A.in Mauritius | B.at Mauritius Government House |
C.in a post office | D.in London |
Stamp collectors have paid 16 800 for _______.
A.fourteen One Penny Orange-Reds |
B.twelve Two Penny Blues |
C.one One Penny Orange-Red |
D.one Two Penny Blue |
An important question about eating out is who pays for the meal. If a friend of yours asks you to have lunch with him. You may say something like this, “I’m afraid it’ll have to be some place cheap, as I have very little money.” The other person may say, “OK, I’ll meet you at McDonald’s.” This means that two agree to go Dutch, that is, each person pays for himself. He may also say, “Oh, no. I want to take you to lunch at Johnson’s”, or “I want you to try the steak(牛排) there. It’s great.” This means the person wants to pay for both of you. If you feel friendly towards this person, you can go with him and you needn’t pay for the meal. You may just say, “Thank you. That would be very nice.”
American customs about who pays for dates(约会) are much the same as in other parts of the world. In the old days, American women wanted men to pay for all the meals. But, today, a university girl or a woman in the business world will usually pay her own way during the day. If a man asks her to dinner or a dance outside the working hours, it means “come as my guest”. So as you can see, it is a polite thing to make the question clear at the very beginning. In the old days _______ often paid for all the meals.
A.women | B.men |
C.university students | D.businessmen |
“To go Dutch” means to _______.
A.go to play outside | B.eat out |
C.pay for oneself | D.go to a cheaper eating place |
“McDonald’s” here means _______.
A.a tea house | B.a gate |
C.an office | D.an eating place |
If you feel friendly to the person, _______.
A.you should pay for him | B.you needn’t pay for him |
C.you can accept his invitation | D.you can’t accept his invitation |
We’d better know who will pay for the meal _______.
A.at the beginning | B.at the end |
C.in the middle of the meal | D.after drinking |