We already know the fastest, least expensive way to slow climate change ： Use less energy. With a little effort, and not much money, most of us could reduce our energy diets by 25 percent or more—doing the Earth a favor while also helping our wallets.
Not long ago， my wife，PJ， and I tried a new diet—not to lose a little weight but to answer an annoying question about climate change. Scientists have reported recently that the world is heating up even faster than predicted only a few years ago，and that the consequences could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions (排放)of carbon dioxide ( CO2) and other greenhouse gases that are trapping heat in our atmosphere.
We decided to try an experiment. For one month we recorded our personal emissions of CO2. We wanted to see how much we could cut back, so we went on a strict diet. The average US household produces about 150 pounds of CO2 a day by doing commonplace things like turning on air conditioning or driving cars. That's more than twice the European average and almost five times the global average, mostly because Americans drive more and have bigger houses. But how much should we try to reduce?
For an answer, I checked with Tim Flannery, author of The Weather Makers： How Man Is Changing the Climate and What It Means for Life on Earth. In his book， he had challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions to keep the world from reaching extremely important tipping points, such as the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica. "To stay below that point, we need to reduce CO2 emissions by 80 percent," he said.
Good advice, I thought. I'd opened our bedroom windows to let in the wind. We'd gotten so used to keeping our air conditioning going around the clock. I'd almost forgotten the windows even opened. We should not let this happen again. It's time for us to change our habits if necessary. Why did the author and his wife try a new diet?
| A．To take special kinds of food. |
| B．To respond to climate change. |
| C．To lose weight. |
| D．To improve their health. |
The underlined words "tipping points" most probably refer to ______ .
| A．freezing points | B．burning points |
| C．melting points | D．boiling points |
It can be inferred from the passage that ______ .
| A．it is necessary to keep the air conditioning on all the time |
| B．it seems possible for every household to cut emissions of CO2 |
| C．the average US household produces about 3,000 pounds of CO2 a month |
| D．the average European household produces about 1, 000 pounds of CO2 a month |
Which of the following would be the best title for this passage?
| A．Saving Energy Starts at Home |
| B．Changing Our Habits Begins at Work |
| C．Changing Climate Sounds Reasonable |
| D．Reducing Emissions of CO2 Proves Difficult |
Music is an international language. The songs that are sung or played by instruments are beautiful to all people everywhere.
Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, politics ，and activities of the American people.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in every state. Once the popular singer is heard throughout the country, young people buy his or her tapes. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, ail the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is called folk music. It tells stories about the common life of Americans. Another is called western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
Serious music for the concert halls is called classical music. Music for instruments is called orchestra music，such as the symphonies of Beethoven. There is opera for singers. There is ballet (芭蕾舞剧)for dancers like the story of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai in China. What can we know about music and people in America?
| A．Student drivers carry small radios with earphones when they drive on the street. |
| B．Students listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. |
| C．Adult drivers only listen to news except music when they drive to work. |
| D．Adult drivers never listen to music when they drive to work. |
How many kinds of music are mentioned in the passage?
| A．5. |
| B．6. |
| C．7. |
| D．8. |
Country music __________.
| A．is a kind of music that is important in America |
| B．is a kind of folk music |
| C．is only sung by cowboys |
| D．is serious music for the concert halls |
Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
| A．All people in America like popular music. |
| B．Pop singers can get all the money from the tapes. |
| C．Now, western or country music is a little different from its beginning. |
| D．Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai is a kind of pop music. |
Have you ever wondered what kind of music the kids across the Pacific Ocean are listening to? Are they crazy about Britney Spears? Do they love the Backstreet Boys? Or do they dance to Eminem?
Well, nearly 6,000 teens have taken part in a Teens & Music study, conducted by USA Weekend Magazine last autumn. And the results show what type of music is hot and what is not. It comes as no surprise that hip-hop and rap are the most popular types of music among American teenagers. They began in the mid-1970s, with young black kids in New York, taking music onto the streets. Hip-hop and rap are well-known for the break-dancing (霹雳舞)that goes with them.
The word “rap”comes from a 1960s slang(俚语)word for conversation. It is a rapid, slangy rhyme that is spoken rather than sung.
Eminem is among the most popular rappers ever to hit the US. His first album “ The Marshall Mathers LP” topped the American music charts in May 2000. Although about a third of teens in the US showed their support for him，almost as many said that his music was so boring that they couldn't listen to it.
Compared with Eminem，actor rapper Will Smith is more of a star for the kids. He was awarded the Wannabe Award, on April 12 at Nickelodeon's 16th Annual Kids' Choice Awards. It is an award given to a celebrity whom kids most want to be.
Pop music，such as Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, has always suited the tastes of the general public. It continues to enjoy support among teens and is the second most popular after rap.
The third is rock—music with excited dance beats and simple lyrics that speak loudly of social problems. The melodies are led by electric guitars. Rock became popular in the US in the early 1950s. American singer Elvis Presley and British group the Beatles became world-famous rock artists.
The study also showed that jazz is least loved by American teens. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from a mixture of African work songs and hymns. Jazz tends to be the type of music that people enjoy more as they get old. Which is the best title of the passage?
| A．What Is Hip-hop and Rap? |
| B．American Teenagers Like Hip-hop and Rap |
| C．The Sounds of the World |
| D．Hip-hop and Rap and Pop Music |
__________ is the right order which are popular among the teens in the US according to the passage.
| A．Jazz, pop music, hip-hop and rap and rock |
| B．Hip-hop and rap, pop music, rock and jazz |
| C．Hip-hop and rap, rock, pop music and jazz |
| D．Rock, jazz, pop music and hip-hop and rap |
Which statement is NOT right according to the passage?
| A．In rap music, the singer or "rapper" will speak or "rap" the words along with the beat. |
| B．Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys mainly perform pop music. |
| C．Rock music often expresses true feelings about society. |
| D．Eminem is the most popular rapper among the teens. |
Most musicians agree that the best violins were first made in Cremona, Italy, about 200 years ago. These violins sound better than any others. They even sound better than violins made today. Violin-makers and scientists try to make instruments like the Italian violins. But they aren't the same. Musicians still prefer the old ones.
Some people think it is the age of the violins. But not all old violins sound wonderful. Only the old violins from Cremona are special. So age cannot be the answer.
Other people think the secret to those violins is the wood. The wood must be from certain kinds of trees.
But the kind of wood may not be so important. It may be more important to cut the wood in a special way. Wood for a violin must be cut very carefully. It has to be the right size and shape. The smallest difference will change the sound of the violin. Musicians sometimes think that this was the secret of the Italians. Maybe they understood more than we do about how to cut the wood.
Size and shape may not be the answer either. Scientists can make new ones that are exactly the same size and shape. But the new violins still do not sound as good as the old ones. Some scientists think the secret may be the varnish. Varnish is what covers the wood of the violin. It makes the wood look shiny. It also helps the sound of the instrument. But no one knows what the Italian violinmakers used in their varnish. The passage is about __________.
| A．making violins |
| B．musical instruments |
| C．scientific ideas |
| D．the old Italian violins |
Some scientists believe that the secret of the old violins maybe __________.
| A．their sound |
| B．their color |
| C．their varnish |
| D．the music |
Which statement is WRONG?
| A．Violins made today have the same size and shape as the old ones. |
| B．Some people think the Italian violin-makers knew something special. |
| C．Some people think that modern violins will sound better in the future. |
| D．All the old violins sound nice. |
Following the success of S. H. E and Twins, another girl band . has arrived on the music scene. Eighteen-year-old Singaporean twin sisters Yumi and Miko Bai create the magic in the band BY2.
The pair recently released(发行)their second album, Twins.
With great voices and dance moves to match, the cute (漂亮的) sisters have won the hearts of many fans since their first album NC-16 came out last year.
At a young age，the sisters began to learn ballet dancing and the violin. When a music company wanted to work with them, the girls had to leave their home and parents to go to Taiwan for training.
Miko and Yumi dropped out of school to focus on their music. This decision caused a hot debate in Singapore. Some people said that their mother was using her daughters to make money. But their father, who died of cancer when they were 15 years old, had encouraged the girls to work hard to make their dreams come true.
The girls felt lonely in Taiwan when they first arrived. “ We celebrated our birthday in Taiwan without any family and friends，” Yumi said. “ We cut our birthday cake ourselves. ”
The girls faced many challenges. “We had to learn Mandarin. Also, it was a killer to dance in high heels, ” said the twins，who had to do so in their music videos.
However，they are glad that they entered the entertainment scene at an early age. “ When we are younger, we learn things faster and can gain more experience, ” Yumi said. We can learn from the text that S. H. E is __________.
| A．a girl musical group |
| B．the name of a cute girl |
| C．a Singaporean twin |
| D．the name of a dancing group |
The pair went to Taiwan to __________.
| A．start a new life |
| B．work for a music company |
| C．practice ballet dancing |
| D．learn more music and dancing |
Why did their dropping out of school cause a hot debate?
| A．Because their parents were using them to make money. |
| B．Because not everyone understood their love of music. |
| C．Because some people were jealous of their success. |
| D．Because their activities were against the law. |
What can we learn from the text about their life in Taiwan?
| A．They made a lot of friends there. |
| B．It was difficult to make ends meet. |
| C．Sometimes they felt very lonely. |
| D．Their mother looked after them there. |
What can we learn from the last paragraph?
| A．They became successful at an early age. |
| B．They met with great difficulties. |
| C．They were very proud of themselves. |
| D．Young as they were, they were quite wealthy. |
Art is sometimes divided into two kinds, high art and popular art. High art attracts a much smaller population than popular art，but the number is large and growing. People who enjoy high art go to the opera and symphony concerts ； they read serious books and go to serious plays ； they keep up with art exhibitions. Popular art is mainly a kind of amusement. Some TV programs are meant to be watched today and forgotten tomorrow. Many popular songs are hits for a few weeks ； then they disappear. Other songs remain popular for such a long time that they become classics. The line between high and popular art is not always clear，however. Many people believe that rock music, for example, is a real art form. Many films are also taken seriously ，while others disappear as nothing more than amusement. Many more people like popular art than high art because __________.
| A．popular art is better than high art |
| B．high art is not a real art form |
| C．popular art will be loved for a longer time than high art |
| D．popular art is a kind of amusement |
According to the passage,__________ belong to popular art.
| A．operas |
| B．art exhibitions |
| C．TV programs |
| D．some songs popular for a short time |
High art is always regarded as an art __________.
| A．not being so popular |
| B．not easily forgotten |
| C．of real value |
| D．loved by most people |
In the passage the underlined word “ classics ” means“__________”.
| A．不朽之作 |
| B．过时的作品 |
| C．通俗作品 |
| D．消遣作品 |
Which of the following is NOT true?
| A．It is difficult to tell high art from popular art. |
| B．The number of those who enjoy high art is growing larger. |
| C．All people believe that rock music and films are high art. |
| D．People have different ideas on the line between high art and popular art. |