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 (视频网站)," 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 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 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 younger Espiritu directed the video from his initial concept through the final edit and upload it 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 startedhearing 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'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 online. |
| 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 it from 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. |
The Field Museum
Hours
Regular hours are 9:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. , daily. Last admission at 4:00 p.m.
Open every day except Christmas.
Admission
We have several ticket choices for you to choose from. Advance tickets may be purchased at the will- call booth in person at the museum before 4:00 p.m.
Getting Here
The Field Museum is located on Chicago’s Museum Campus; at 1400 S. Lake Shore Drive, just south of Roosevelt Rd.
How to get here : by car or public transit or free trolley.
Parking
Visitor parking in all lots on the Museum Campus is $ 15.00 per day .This includes the Adler lot, the north garage, the Waldron garage and the east museum lot.
Hours for the north garage and Adler lot are 5:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. Mon—Fri and 6:00a.m. —5:00p.m. weekends; east museum lot9:00 a.m.—3:00p.m. Designated handicapped parking is available in every lot.
When all other lots are full , parking will be made available in the remote south lot for$ 8.00 per day.
From Memorial Day to Labor Day , the parking lot will only accept cash payments , which will need to be paid upon entering the garage.
Please note : These hours and rates are for daytime only and do not apply when special events are scheduled at the museums or Soldier Field.
Getting Here During Chicago Bears Home Games
During bears home games and other major special events at Soldier Field , access to the Museum Campus can be challenging. No museum visitor parking is available on the Museum Campus during bears home games. However, public transit remains a great way to get to the Campus every day of the year. For more information, call the Regional Transportation Authority at (312) 836 — 7000 or visit www. rtachicago.com.
Additional parking is available at the Monroe Street garage , located at 350 East Monroe Street.If you buy advance tickets ,you.
| A．call 60605—2496(312)922—9410 to register a ticket |
| B．should go and buy tickets all by yourself |
| C．can ask others to buy a ticket for you |
| D．make an order with the museum in advancee |
Where can you park your car for the least cost?
| A．The south lot. | B．The Adler lot. | C．The north lot . | D．The Waldron garage. |
If you park your car at east museum lot ,you should go at .
A. 9:00 a.m.— 5：00 p.m . B. 5:00a.m. .—5:00p.m.
C. 9:00 a.m.— 3：00 p.m .B. 6:00a.m. .—5:00p.m. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．The museum is opened all the year around. |
| B．You can usually pay your parking in check. |
| C．During bears home games visitors can park on the museum Campus for free. |
| D．After 4:00 p.m.you are not allowed to enter the museum. |
WASHINGTON, March 14 (Xinhua) —U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed on Saturday at the White House that China can have confidence in the American economy.
“Not just the Chinese government, but every investor can have absolute confidence in the soundness of investments in the United States,” Obama said.
“There is a reason why even in the midst of this economic downfall you have seen actual increases in investment flows here in the U. S.,”he said.
Obama also noted the U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry “front and center” at the upcoming Group of 20 Summit (峰会) in London ,ending an argument between the Europe and the United States over whether more focus should be placed on financial regulatory reform.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friady he is “a little bit worried ”about the safety of Chinese assets (财产) in the United States ,urging the U. S. government to ensure the security of those assets.
China has invested its huge foreign exchangereserves (外汇储备) in low-risk but low-yield assets ,such as U. S.government bonds (政府债券) ,to play it safe . According to the U.S. Treasury, China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S. government bonds as of November.
“China is indeed the largest creditor of the United States, which is the world’ s biggest economy .We are extremely interested in developments in the U. S. economy.”said Wen, adding that he is expecting the effect of the measures taken by the U.S.government to counter the global financial crisis.
Asked to react to Wen’ s concern, Lawrence Summers, director of the U.S. National Economic Council, noted on Friday that the U.S. will be sound steward (管家)of the money it invests.
“This is a commitment that the president has made very clear—we need to be sound stewards of the money we invest.”said Summers in a speech at the Brookings Institution, a leading think tank in the united states.Which of the following statements is NOT true according to the passage?
| A．Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao expressed his worry about the huge fund to the United States. |
| B．Obama claimed that China can have confidence in the American economy. |
| C．Obama said that the U. S. would be “sound stewards of the money we invest.” |
| D．The U. S. will push for stricter regulation of the financial industry. |
It can most likely be inferred from the passage that.
| A．the U. S. is now having great difficulty improving the economy. |
| B．China will have confidence in Obama forever according to Wen’s speech |
| C．China held 681.9 billion U.S. dollars worth of U.S.government bonds as of November |
| D．China will do its best to help the U.S. overcome the global financial crisis. |
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said earlier Friday he is “a little bit worried”, because.
| A．he doesn’t have confidence in America’ s economy at all |
| B．China lent a huge fund to the United States |
| C．he is concerned about the security of China’s assets in the U. S. |
| D．the U.S. refused to ensure the security of China’s assets |
The underlined word “soundness” in the second paragraph can be replaced by “”
| A．loudness | B．safety | C．richness | D．friendship |
CCTV anchorman Luo Jing died of cancer on June 5 ,2009 at the age of 48.
In 1983 ,graduating from Beijing Broadcasting Institute, he began his career as a prime time newscaster for CCTV .Over the past decades , as an icon of China’s broadcasting industry，Luo Jing’s modest image and clear voice left unforgettable memories with his audience.
Last year when he was diagnosed as having lymph cancer ,he felt it too awful,for two weeks later he was to run the torch ,He asked doctors to keep the secret in order for him to complete the task of the Olympic torch. Finally, not only did he complete the task, but he participated in a series of voice – over work in the Olympic Games opening ceremony . After that ,he frankly said to the leader the next day,“I have completed the task and I am going to hospital today.”
Broadcast sowing rate of the News Network used to be 180words a minute, but increases to 300 words a minute, which is beyond most people’s ability. What’s more terror is the strict limit of time .Sometimes after a piece of news is broadcast, there is a few seconds left, when staff hand a message press release. The host must strictly control the time to broadcast the unexpected news. As soon as his voice fades , the program turns into the following images without one more second or less. In such high – intensity work environment, with the perfect professional he worked for 26 years without any error.
In life , we seldom mention comedy without tragedy, laughter without tears ,and joy without sorrow.Though the passing of Luo Jings brings us pain, it’s only fitting to remember his smiles with happiness. He’s been taken from us much too soon , but he leaves us what he’s been working for.When did Luo Jing go to hospital?
| A．As soon as he ran the torch. |
| B．As soon as he was diagnosed with cancer. |
| C．As soon as he felt uncomfortable. |
| D．After attending the Olympic Games opening ceremony. |
When Luo Jing began his career he wasyears old
| A．22 | B． 24 | C．26 | D．28 |
Through the fourth paragraph the writer intends to show.
| A．how high broadcast sowing rate of the News Network is |
| B．how remarkable the achievement that Luo Jing made was |
| C．what gifts a person should have if he wants to make a host |
| D．how terrible to become a host of the News Network |
What can be inferred from the passage?
| A．Luo Jing was modest. | B．Luo Jing had a clear voice. |
| C．Luo Jing had a strong will. | D．Luo Jing hated being pitied. |
填空（共10小题；每小题1分，满分l0分）
阅读短文，根据所读内容在表中的空格处填上适当的单词或短语。注意：每空不超过3个单词。
What causes traffic jams? Too many cars，right? No! Some Brits are now saying that trafficlights are to blame for much of the congestion.
They suggest that traffic lights be removed at busy roads．They believe people are a better judge of when it’s safe to go，not a traffic light programmed by an absent regulator．
A report from the Institute of Economic Affairs，a UK think tank（智囊团），argues that
abolishing traffic signals would decrease congestion，reduce exhaust（废气）emissions（排放）and improve safety．
The report said that removing lights should also prevent other bad behavior caused by signals．such、as speeding up to catch a green light It would also avoid the wasted time when drivers have to sit at a red light even if no one is using the green
The idea may sound strange，but it’s not new．Seven cities and regions in Europe are experimenting with no-lights roads．
Drachten in the Netherlands has gotten rid of 16 of its traffic light crossings and changed the other two to roundabouts under a“shared space”scheme．At crossings, cyclists dutifully raise their arm when they want to make a turn，and drivers follow a first．arrived，first．through approach and communicate by hand signs，nods and waving．The result? Typical journey time has been cut in half and accidents and congestion have mostly disappeared．
There have been small collisions but no problem，said Hans Monderman，creator of the scheme．“We want small accidents，in order to prevent serious ones．It works well because it’s dangerous．The driver has to be responsible for his or her own risk
“The many rules take away the ability to be considerate”Monderman added．“We’re losing our responsibility for socially responsible behavior．”
So far，Drachten’s locals have called the experiment a success．“I am used to it now，”said Helena Spaanstra．24．“You drive more slowly and carefully．but somehow you seem to get around town quicker．
Tony Ooostward，70，was equally enthusiastic．“I am a walker and now you are the boss at the crossroads，everyone waits for you．But at the same time walkers wait until there are a number of people wanting to cross at the same time．”
Owen Paterson，UK’s Shadow Transport Minister。visited Drachten．He said Britain should learn from the model．“The idea is to create space where there is mild anxiety among everyone so they all behave cautiously．No one drives fast along a busy street thinking that they have right of way．”
The model is being tested in London’s Kensington neighborhood．
阅读下面短文，简要回答问题。（共3小题；每小题2分，满分6分）
I was shopping in the supermarket when I．heard a young voice boom from across the aisle．“Mom，come here! There’s this lady here my size！”
The mother rushed to a boy she called Mickey；then she turned to me to apologize．
I smiled and told her，“It’s okay．”Then I talked to the boy，“Hi，Mickey，I’m Darry
Kramer．How are you?”
He studied mc from head to toe，and asked，“Arc you a little mommy?”
“Yes．I have a son”I answered
“Why are you so little?”he asked．
…It s the way I was born．”I said．“Some people are little．Some are tall．I’m just not going to grow any bigger．”After about five more minutes of answering questions，I shook Mickey’s hand, and he returned to his mother．
My life as a little person is filled with stories 1ike that．I enjoy talking to children and Explaining why I look different from their parents．it has taken many years to develop my confidence to be able to do that．
It takes only one glance to see my uniqueness．I stand three feet．nine inches tall I was born an achondroplasia dwarf（侏儒）．Despite this，my parents encouraged me to do all the things the kids around me did when I was growing up When my neighbors got two-wheel bikes，I got a two-wheel bike When they roller-skated, I roller-skated．
I didn’t realize how short I was until I started school There，a few kids 1picked on me，calling me names．Then I knew．After that，I began to hate the first day of school cach year．I didn’t know who was new and would stare at me as I struggled to climb the school bus stairs．
As time went on，I just tried to smile and accept the fact that I was going to be noticed my whole life．I was determined to make my uniqueness an advantage rather than a disadvantage．
What I lacked in height，I made up for in personality．
I’m 47 now，and the stares have not diminished as I’ve grown older．People 1ook in disbelief when they see me get out of my car off the driver’s side．During those times，I try to keep a good attitude When people are rude，I remind myself，“Look what else I have—a great family．Nice friends．”
And it’s the children’s questions that make my 1ife special．When I talk with children．They leave content that their questions have been answered My hope is that in taking time with them，I will encourage them to accept their peers whatever size and shape they come in，and treat them with respect．How was the author brought up?（回答词数不超过9个）
_______________________________________________________________________________Why does the author enjoy talking to children?（回答词数不超过12个）
______________________________________________________________________________Please Use several words to describe the author’s personalities．（回答词数不超过5个）
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