English songs have been very popular for people around the world for many decades.Singers, from Elvis Presley to Ricky Martin, from the Beatles to Eminen and from Natalie Cole to Britney Spears, have all been sitting in everyone’s heart, even for people who don’t speak English. But will you have better English skills if you listen to English songs for a long time?
From my experiences, some people listen to English songs for 20－30 years but still haven’t accomplished any good English skills. Some people choose English songs to be the “main learning approach”， but most of them have failed.
Listening to English songs does not help you to speak English fluently. It does help you gain some vocabularies. Most of them are unusual ones that you don’t use in your everyday life. You won’t learn the sentence “It is a complicate project. We really need to meet the deadline.” in any English songs.
People like using English songs to practice English skills because it’s easy and enjoyable.They think that sitting in the car listening to English songs day by day can improve their English skills. It is not that actually.
You will not improve your listening skills because normal people don’t speak with melody (乐调). People don’t talk like Eminen’s songs (well, actually, some teenagers do). You can’t get yourself familiar with English pronunciation or accent just from listening to English songs. The words that they pronounce in the songs are not the words that you will hear in your everyday life.It often even confuses you more how English is pronounced.
I would fully encourage you to watch English movies, listen to radio news or other normal talks, but not music. Of course, you can consume it for fun but not the aim to improve your English skills.
【改编】What’s the main idea of the passage?_____
| A．How English songs aid people with practicing English skills. |
| B．Where people can find good English songs to practise their English skills |
| C．Why people are not willing to develop their English by listening to English songs. |
| D．Who has made English songs popular throughout the world. |
【改编】English songs are beneficial to English learners if they hope to ________.
| A．adapt to express themselves in daily life |
| B．enlarge their vocabularies |
| C．improve their listening skills |
| D．speak English fluently |
【改编】what can we conclude from the text ? ________.
| A．English songs get people familiar with English pronunciation or accent |
| B．watching English movies or listening to radio news can be great helpful to English learners |
| C．worldfamous singers have done a lot to help people learn English |
| D．most people who listen to English songs in their car speak English very well |
III。阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）
阅读下列短文，从每篇短文后所给各题的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
They say there are three ways to experience the Grand Canyon; on foot, on mules（骡子）or by air. We chose the first. Up early, my husband and I and our three children couldn’t wait to get started. We decided to walk along a lovely path named Bright Angel Trail.
As we set out, I was shocked at how narrow the path was. And I couldn’t help noticing that the other tourists weren’t like us. They had heavy backpacks, water bottles, and hats. But as usual we were dressed, As the sun rose higher, Arizona’s famous heat seemed to roast us. There was no shade and our legs were aching. We decided to go back, with the girl on my back and the boys far behind. By the time we finally got back, our legs were like jelly.
The next day, after we’d had a long rest and a good breakfast, we were ready for another view of the Canyon – by air. After our last walk, this would be the easiest thing in the world.
We called to each other excitedly as the plane took off and circled around the Canyon. But the smiles on our faces disappeared as the pilot tossed（翻转）the plane around, pretending he was going to hit the ground. I shouted, “STOP, TAKE US BACK!” When we finally arrived back on land, once again our legs were like jelly. We hardly spoke as we drove back.
As I said, there are three ways to view the Grand Canyon. We never tried the mules, but personally I’d suggest a fourth: buy yourself a good magazine like National Geographic. That way, you can see the Canyon, without fear or tiredness.
1. Which of the following is true according to the second paragraph?
A. They made a careful preparation before the trip.
B. The children were more joyful than their parents.
C. Bright Angel Trail was not as lovely as they expected.
D. The summer heat prevented them from enjoying the view.
2. The underlined expression “Our legs were like jelly” probably means _____ .
A. we were weak B. we were unhappy
C. we were dissatisfied D. we were disappointed
3. Which of the following best describes their Canyon trip by air?
A. It proved to be frightening. B. It was more comfortable.
C. It turned out to be exciting. D. It made each of them tired.
4. We can infer from the passage that _____.
A. experiencing the Canyon on mules would be the best way.
B. one needs to dress less when visiting the Grand Canyon.
C. the writer was not serious when she made the suggestion.
D. the whole family narrowly escaped from the air accident.
Odland remembers like it was yesterday working in an expensive French restaurant in Denver. The ice cream he was serving fell onto the white dress of a rich and important woman.
Thirty years have passed, but Odland can’t get the memory out of his mind, nor the woman’s kind reaction. She was shocked, regained calmness and, in a kind voice, told the young Odland. “It’s OK. It wasn’t your fault.” When she left the restaurant, she also left the future Fortune 500 CEO with a life lesson: You can tell a lot about a person by the way he or she treats the waiter.
Odland isn’t the only CEO to have made this discovery. Rather, it seems to be one of those few laws of the land that every CEO learns on the way up. It’s hard to get a dozen CEO’s to agree about anything, but most agree with the Waiter Rule. They say how others treat the CEO says nothing. But how others treat the waiter is like a window into the soul.
Watch out for anyone who pulls out the power card to say something like, “I could but this place and fire you,” or “I know the owner and I could have you fired.” Those who say such things have shown more about their character than about their wealth and power.
The CEO who came up with it, or at least first wrote it down, is Raytheon CEO Bill Swanson. He wrote a best-selling book called Swanson’s Unwritten Rules of Management. “A person who is nice to you but rude to the waiter, or to others, is not a nice person,” Swanson says. “I will never offer a job to the person who is sweet to the boss but turns rude to someone cleaning the tables.”
67. What happened after Odland dropped the ice cream onto the woman’s dress?
A. He was fired. B. He was blamed.
C. The woman comforted him. D. The woman left the restaurant at once.
68. Odland learned one of his life lessons from ____.
A. his experience as a waiter. B. the advice given by the CEOs
C. an article in Fortune D. an interesting best-selling book
69. According to the text, most CEOs have the same opinion about ____.
A. Fortune 500 companies B. the Management Rules
C. Swanson’s book D. the Waiter Rule
70. From the text we can learn that ____.
A. one should be nicer to important people
B. CEOs often show their power before others
C. one should respect others no matter who they are
D. CEOs often have meals in expensive restaurants
If you are a recent social science graduate who has had to listen to jokes about unemployment from your computer major classmates, you may have had the last laugh. There are many advantages for the social science major because this high-tech" Information Age" demands people who are flexible and who have good communication skills.
There are many social science majors in large companies who fill important positions. For example, a number of research studies found that social science majors had achieved greater managerial success than those who had technical training or pre-professional courses. Studies show that social science majors are most suited for change, which is the leading feature of the kind of high-speed, high-pressure, high-tech world we now live in.
Social science majors are not only experiencing success in their long-term company jobs, but they are also finding jobs more easily. A study showed that many companies had filled a large percentage of their entry-level positions with social science graduates. The study also showed that the most sought-after quality in a person who was looking for a job was communication skills, noted as "very important" by 92 percent of the companies. Social science majors have these skills, often without knowing how important they are. It is probably due to these skills that they have been offered a wide variety of positions.
Finally, although some social science majors may still find it more difficult than their technically trained classmates to land the first job, recent graduates report that they don't regret their choice of study.
63. By saying that" you may have had the last laugh" in the first paragraph, the author means that you may have ________.
A. shared the jokes with computer majors B. found jobs more easily than computer majors
C. earned as much as computer majors D. stopped joking about computer majors
64. Compared with graduates of other subjects, social science graduates _______.
A. are ready to change when situations change. B. are better able to deal with difficulties
C. are equally good at computer skills D. are likely to give others pressure
65. The underlined word “land” in the last paragraph probably means ______.
A. keep for some time B. successfully get
C. apply immediately D. lose regretfully
66. According to the text, what has made it easy for social science graduates to find jobs?
A. Willingness to take low-paid jobs. B. Skills in expressing themselves.
C. Readiness to gain high-tech knowledge. D. Part-time work experience.
A couple of years ago I took the family on a winter vacation to New York City to experience the holiday atmospheres. The longest lines that week weren’t in the Empire State Building, at the Statue of Liberty Ferry or any of the Big Apple’s other landmarks (地标) , but at Fifth Avenue and 58th Street, where people crowded into FAO Schwarz.
It was not until I got inside that it became clear how only one toy store could provide everything else that Manhattan offers between Thanksgiving and Christmas. Far more than a shopping experience, the hour we spent wandering along the aisles(通道) at FAO Schwarz was more like visiting a museum of everything that children care for very much. And for me — and all of the other bright-eyed grownups — it was a trip down my memory lane to the toys we knew as kinds.
America’s most unique toy stores are found from coast to coast, in big cities and also in small towns. Let’s have a look at some others.
The Dinosaur Farm in South Pasadena, Calif.: Former rock musician Dave Plenn opened the shop in 1994, a year after “Jurassic Park” brought the creatures back into the spotlight again. But he says his wife ---who was then working for the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles— rather than the big movie proved the inspiration for the dinosaur store.
Mild Zone: A more traditional specialty store, which sells model cars like Matchbox, Hot Wheels and Johnny Lightning. “It’s such an addicting (上瘾的) hobby,” says Burke, who admits that he originally created the store as a means to feed his own toy car collection. “Once you buy your first, you can never stop.” The store has around 30,000 cars. Mile Zone’s customers are from kinds with a wish for speedy toys to grown-ups who view the model cars as time travel back to their youth.
59. The author wrote the first paragraph mainly to show _________.
A. the poor traffic condition in New York B. the nice holiday atmosphere in New York
C. the popularity of toy stores in New York D. the charming landmarks in New York
60. Walking into FAO Schwarz gave the author a chance to ___________.
A. recall his life of childhood B. visit a most special museum
C. study the history of Manhattan D. learn the way of producing toys
61. Dave Plenn was inspired to open the Dinosaur Farm by ________.
A. his wife B. “Jurassic Park” C. his research on nature D .rock music
62. We can infer from the passage that ______.
A. dinosaur toy stores are more popular than traditional ones
B. some unique toys have been displayed in local museums
C. some popular toy stores have become new landmarks
D. customers of toy stores are more than children
“Yes, madam, your husband ran into some trouble,” he replied. “They were caught in a heavy storm.” .Storms often cause trouble. When I was a baby, Dad had to spend long weeks at sea as a fisherman. One day, I suddenly began to cry loudly. No matter how Mom comforted me, I just kept crying. Mom felt uneasy. A feeling told her that something bad would happen. Then a word hit her----“Mayday”. Mom called the Coast Guard, asking the man on duty about my Dad and his ship.
Father and his crew radioed for help when water started pouring in his ship. We flew out there about an hour ago and dropped them a pump. “Take it easy. He will be back soon.” “What if the pump doesn’t work?” Mom questioned. “You should do another fly-over.” The man tried to comfort Mom, “He must be all right now, Mrs Hemingway, or we would have heard a radio signal from him.” “You haven’t got a Mayday?” “No, but we will let you know if we hear the radio signal.” Mom hung up.
I remained crying. Mom called the Coast Guard again. Finally, they said they would send out a rescue plane.
At midnight the phone rang. It was the Coast Guard. They had found my father and all his crew floating in sea 15miles off Jamaica. Dad’s ship had sunk, but fortunately all were safe.
“The pump they dropped didn’t work fast enough,” Dad said. “I radioed a Mayday, but I couldn’t get through.”
Dad didn’t get through to the Coast Guard because of the storm, but he got through to us. Really, there is something that can’t be seen but exists, as is said but can’t be explained, between us, the families.
55. The underlined word “Mayday” in the first paragraph probably means “_________”.
A. a radio program B. the signal for help
C. the holiday in May D. a sign of feeling sick
56. Why did the man on duty say the author’s father would return soon?
A. The pump they dropped was of high quality.
B. The author’s father called him and told him so.
C. The plane waited until the pump worked.
D. He thought no news was good news.
57. We can infer from the text that _________.
A. the man on duty in the Coast Guard was careless
B. the plane failed to find the ship which was in danger
C. the author’s father was in charge of the ship
D. the pump saved the author’s father finally
58. What may be the explanation for the author’s (as a baby) crying?
A. He might feel hungry in the evening
B. He might see something terrible in the room.
C. He might be afraid when left alone in room
D. He might have a feeling of uneasiness.