Individuality is the particular character, or aggregate (total) of qualities that distinguishes one person or thing from others. Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. At the beginning there was no exacting technique, no foundation from which to build. In later years, trial, error and genius founded the techniques and the principles of the movement. Eventually, innovators (改革者) even drew from what they considered the dread ballet, but first they had to get rid of all that was academic so that the new could be discovered. The beginnings of modern dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed (称赞).
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea, and should be in harmony with the movements of the Earth. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movement that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concert. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (高超技巧) shown by complex, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costume. She rejected ballet shoes and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing Grecian (希腊式的) tunes, bare feet, and unbound hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies of great masters including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric (怪异) in her personal life as in her dance.According to the passage, what did nature represent to Isadora Duncan?
| A．Something to conquer. | B．A model for movement. |
| C．A place to find peace. | D．A symbol of disorder. |
Compared to those of the ballet, Isadora Duncan’s costumes were less _________.
| A．costly | B．colorful |
| C．graceful | D．restrictive |
Which of the following is not mentioned as an area of dance that Duncan worked to change?
| A．The stage set. | B．The music. |
| C．Costumes. | D．Movements. |
We can infer from the passage that the author _________.
| A．appreciates modern dance very much |
| B．dislikes Isadora Duncan’s dance |
| C．thinks highly of individuality |
| D．knows a lot about modern arts |
Which of the following would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Artists of the Last Century |
| B．Evolution of Dance in the 20th Century |
| C．Natural Movement in Dance |
| D．A Pioneer in Modern Dance |
People in the United States honor their parents with two special days：Mother’s Day, on the second Sunday in May, and Father’s Day, on the third Sunday in June. These days are set aside to show love and respect for parents. They raise their children and educate them to be responsible(有责任感的) citizens. They give love and care. These two days make us think about the changing roles of mothers and fathers. More mothers now work outside the home. More fathers must help with child care.
These two special days are celebrated in many different ways. On Mother’s Day people wear carnations. A red one symbolizes a living mother. A white one shows that the mother is dead. Many people attend religious services to honor parents. It is also a day when people whose parents are dead visit the cemetery(墓地).On these days families get together at home,as well as in restaurants. They often have outdoor barbecues for Father’s Day.These are days of fun and good feelings and memories.
Another tradition is to give cards and gifts.Children make them in school.Many people make their own presents. These are valued more than the ones bought in stores. It is not the value of the gift that is important, but it is “the thought that counts”. Greeting card stores, florists, candy makers, bakeries, telephone companies, and other stores do a lot of business during these holidays.Which of the following is NOT a reason for children to show love and respect for parents?
A．Parents bring up children. |
| B．Parents give love and care to children. |
| C．Parents educate children to be good persons. |
| D．Parents pass away before children grow up. |
What do you think “florists” do?
| A．They sell flowers. |
| B．They make and sell bread. |
| C．They offer enough room for having family parties. |
| D．They sell special gifts for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. |
Which do you think is right about “carnation”?
| A．It has only two kinds of colors. |
| B．It refers to the special clothes people wear on Mother’s Day or Father’s Day. |
| C．It’s a kind of flower showing love and best wishes. |
| D．People can wear carnations only on the second Sunday in May. |
What do you know from the passage?
| A．Mother’s Day and Father’s Day are both in May. |
| B．Fewer women worked outside the home in the past. |
| C．Not all the children respect their parents. |
| D．Fathers are not as important as mothers at home. |
On Mother’s Day and Father’s Day,.
| A．people usually have family parties | B．everyone goes to visit the cemetery |
| C．children always go to parents’ home | D．h and-made cards are the most valuable gifts |
Conjoined twins lead separate but active lives.
Lori and Reba have never been alone and they want to keep it that way.
The 40-year-old conjoined twins in Pennsylvania,US,have read about others locked together by an accident of birth who have been medically separated.But they insist only death can part them.
“We’ve never imagined a life divided,”Lori said.
Lori and Reba are joined together at the side of their heads,facing in opposite directions.Their blood supply is partly linked,but each has a separate brain.
Reba suffers from a disease which has left her completely dependent on her sister.
Lori wheels her everywhere they go in different professional directions.Lori worked in a laundry room at a hospital for six years before giving that up to allow Reba to try to become a country singer.
Her first song is called “The Fear of Being Alone”,which was inspired by Reba and Lori’s desire for togetherness.
Reba’s career has taken her across the United States, Europe and parts of Asia.
While the twins receive some money from the government, the earning from Reba’s concerts go to AIDS and cancer charities(慈善机构).
The sisters have set goals for themselves. Reba looks forward to a successful career as a country singer, while Lori says she hopes to get married and have children.Lori said,”So when it comes, it comes. Meanwhile, I live wonderfully from day to day.”When Lori said “We’ve never imagined a life divided”,she meant that .
| A．they don’t wish to be made separate |
| B．they think their case is beyond medical help |
| C．independent life would be too good to think of |
| D．they would die once separated |
By leading separate lives,the topic means that .
A
. either of the two can look after herself B .the twins do different things
C. they face in opposite directions D. they are no longer conjoined nowWhen Reba gives performances as a country singer,Lori .
| A．works in a hospital | B．continues her college education |
| C．brings up her children | D．looks after her sister |
The twins lead active lives because they .
| A．are tired of staying at home doing nothing |
| B．need more money |
C．want to prove themselve s as useful citizens |
| D．have to earn their own bread |
From the last paragraph we can understand that Lori .
A. thinks it’s too late for her to have children
B. is sure she’ll get married and have children
Armed only with iPhones, the inventive rock band Atomic Tom has gone viral（广为流传） by way of the New York subway． The band has scored an Internet hit with the video to the song “Take Me Out．”
Singer Luke White says the production was a top-secret operation．
“We didn't tell anyone about this． It was completely top-secret from our family, from our friends, from our label, our management, everybody． So the first time that people saw this video was last Friday when we put it on YouTube,” explained White．
Since uploading the video to YouTube, band members have spent several days refreshing the page to watch the number of hits rise．
The video has also made its way around Twitter as many people have shared it with their friends．
“I mean, it still hasn't quite hit． It's just kind of blowing our minds right now that we're getting this: many people are fond of it, and they're sharing it with their friends． We don't know what it's like really to have something that's viral, so all of this is very new to us．” said Eric Espiritu, the lead guitarist of the band．
White explains how the video came together:
“We did our research with the applications（ 应用程序） and found applications that worked out really well with the instruments and then we plugged them all into, plugged our phones into mini-battery powered amplifiers（扩音器） that we put underneath our seats, and we did a lot of, you know, practices, in terms of figuring out what the balance of the sound and like who was overpowering, who was too loud or who was too soft．”
The idea for the video came from Espiritu's younger brother Benjamin． The yo
unger Espiritu directed the video from his initial concept through the final edit and upload to the Internet．
“I've seen a lot of the music applications come out, and I've never actually had the chance to play with them," says Ben Espiritu． "When I started hearing about how they sound and everything, I thought it might be unique to take it one step further and then create an entire band just performing solely（单曲） on the iPhones, and I thought it would be a pretty cool idea．”
Ben says the success of the band’s music video is a credit to the talent and ability of the musicians, but it's also a sign of the times．
“It really comes down to seeing something different, seeing something unique, and I think that that's always, in any type of art form, what will speak to people, and I think it does reflect the times that we live in, taking a smart phone and then being able to turn it into an instrument, not only just an instrument, but making it sound really good．” Who first saw the video of the song “Take Me Out”?
| A．Their friends | B．The people on line |
| C．Their family | D．Their management |
What is the band members’ attitude towards the sudden fame?
| A．They are thrilled． |
| B．They are quite used to it． |
| C．They are kind of confused． |
| D．They are so excited as to tell everyone they know． |
How did the video come into being?
| A．The band copied from it other musicians． |
| B．It had already existed in the iPhones before they bought them． |
| C．The band created it with the help of the applications in the iPhones． |
| D．The band made full use of the traditional instruments to make the song． |
What is the significance of the success of the band's music video?
| A．It has introduced us several talented musicians． |
| B．It has made the musicians into millionaires． |
| C．It teaches the young a big lesson． |
| D．It reflects the talent and ability of the musicians and the times that we live in． |
NPR has ended its contract with Juan Williams, one of its senior news analysts, after he made comments about Muslims on the Fox News Channel．
NPR said in a statement that it gave Mr． Williams notice of his ending in this organization on Wednesday night．
The move came after Mr． Williams, who is also a Fox News political analyst, appeared on the “The O’Reilly Factor” on Monday． On the show, the host, Bill O’Reilly, asked him to respond to the idea that the United States was facing a “Muslim dilemma（窘境）．”Mr． O’Reilly said, “The cold truth is that in the world today jihad（圣战）, helped and encouraged by some Muslim nations, is the biggest threat on the planet．”
Mr． Williams said he agreed with Mr． O'Reilly．
He continued: “You know the kind of books I've written about the civil rights movement in this country． But 
when I get on the plane． I got to tell you, if I see people who are in Muslim clothing and I think, you know, they are identifying themselves first and known as Muslim． I get worried． I get nervous． ”
Mr． Williams also made reference to the Pakistani immigrant who was guilty this month trying to plant a car bomb in Times Square． “He said the war with Muslims, America's war is just beginning, first drop of blood． I don’t think there’s any way to get away from these facts,” Mr． Williams said．
NPR said in its statement that the remarks “were inconsistent with our editorial standards and practices, and weakened his reputation as a news analyst with NPR”
The publ
ic radio organization said it thanked him for many years of service． Mr． Williams did
not immediately respond on Wednesday night to an e-mail seeking comment．
Mr． Williams' contributions on Fox raised eyebrows at NPR in the past． In February 2009, NPR said it had asked that he stop being identified on “The O’Reilly Factor” as a “senior correspondent for NPR,” even though that title was accurate． According to the passage, NPR is probably_．
| A．a TV station | B．a public radio organization |
| C．a newspaper | D．a website |
NPR has ended its contract with Juan Williams because
| A．Juan Williams made comments on the Fox News Channel without NPR's permission |
| B．NPR was disappointed about Juan Williams’ performance in its programs |
| C．Juan Williams' remarks about Muslims ruined NPR's reputation |
| D．Juan Williams' comments and performances didn't agree with NPR's traditions |
What can we infer from the underlined sentence in Paragraph 5'?
| A．Juan Williams is afraid of taking a plane． |
| B．It’s very easy to recognize Muslims because their clothes are special． |
| C．Muslims are sometimes considered dangerous to the safety of the world． |
| D．Juan Williams looks down upon Muslims． |
The best title of the passage is ．
| A．NPR ended its contract with Juan Williams |
| B．Muslims are the biggest threat to the world |
| C．Juan Williams, the senior news analyst of NPR |
| D．Fired from NPR, Juan Williams keeps talking on Fox |
The English are famous for their manners． The phrase, “Manners maketh the man” was coined by Englishman William of Wykeham back in 1324, but they’re just as important today． Books are written on the subject, advice columns in magazines tell people how to behave, and “finishing schools” still exist to ensure that young girls become young “ladies”．
The best example of English manners is in their mastery of the art of forming a queue． It is a popular joke in England （the land of sporting failures） to say, “if only queuing was an Olympic sport, we’d win hands down．” No one knows exactly how and when it started, but queuing plays an important role in the English social make-up． School children are taught to queue for roll-call, assembly and lunch, and English people across the land form orderly queues at shops, banks, cinemas and bus-stops every day． The English obviously aren’t the only people who queue, but they seem to do it better than anyone else． As one visitor said, “I have travelled across Europe, the Middle and Far East and nowhere have I seen the single-file queues which are formed in England．”
The English are also famously polite when it comes to language． Whereas many other notions are more direct in their communication, the English prefer a more indirect form of asking for things． For example, an American who wants to talk to a colleague might say, “Got a minute?”; however an English person will often use a more indirect means might of requesting the chat, “Sorry to bother you, but would you possibly have a minute or so to have a quick chat if you don’t mind, please?”
The English also love to apologize for things． When squeezing past someone, people say “sorry”． And they will apologize if you bump into them, “whoops! Sorry! My fault．” In fact, no one seems to say “sorry” as much as the English: “sorry I’m late． /Sorry I forgot to call you last night．/I’m sorry you didn’t get the e-mail．” And so on． They also like to use “please” and “thank you” a lot． In a shop, they will say, “I’d like a packet of crisp, please． Thanks．” British students thank their lectures, a
nd bosses often thank their employees for doing their jobs． Why does “finishing schools” still exist to help young girls become “ladies”?
| A．Because the English mind their manners very much． |
| B．Because the English parents want to marry their daughters to the royal family． |
| C．Because the English girls are so rude that they need to be taught to be polite． |
| D．Because the English government ensures their existence． |
The underlined sentence in paragraph2 implies ________________．
| A．The English love the Olympics very much． |
| B．The English spend nothing winning an Olympic medal． |
| C．The English are best at queuing． |
| D．The English prefer to queue with their hands down． |
According to the passage, if Americans say “Waiter! Could I have another fork, please?” how will the English express such a meaning?
| A．Excuse me! Give me another fork, please! |
| B．Excuse me! I have to be a bother, but would you mind awfully changing this fork, please? |
| C．Hi! Would you mind giving me another fork? |
| D．Waiter! Come here and change the fork! |
According to the passage, why do the employers often thank their employees for doing their jobs?
| A．The employees can bring them a lot of benefits． |
| B．The employees finish their jobs perfectly． |
| C．The English employers’ good manners lead them to do so． |
| D．The employers do it as a result of the company’s regulation． |