British singer Sarah Brightman began training for a 2015 flight to the International Space Station where she hopes to become the first professional musician to sing from space, the company arranging the trip said on Tuesday.
Brightman, a famed soprano (女高音) who starred in Andrew Lloyd Webber' s "Phantom of the Opera" , will pay about $ 52 million for a 10-day stay aboard the orbital outpost, Tom Shelley, president of privately owned Space Adventures, said.
Brightman, who will become the eighth privately funded space tourist, is scheduled to fly in September 2015. Her training to fly on a Russian Soyuz capsule began last fall.
Brightman has planned to be the first professional musician to sing from space. But she faces competition from Lady Gaga, who, according to media reports late last year, intends to be the first when she performs one song in space in early 2015 on a Virgin Galactic flight. Virgin Galactic, part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, plans to offer suborbital(亚轨道的) space flights.
Brightman said in 2012 that she would travel to the space station, but her plans haven't been confirmed until now. So far. Space Adventures has arranged for nine private missions to the space station, a $ 100 billion research laboratory that flies about 260 miles above the earth. Microsoft co-founder Charles Simonyi made two trips.
Brightman will be the first private citizen to visit the station since Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Lalibarte paid about $ 35 million for an 11-day stay in September 2009.
Google co-founder Sergey Brin has an option to fly on the next available Soyuz seat after Brightman, which most likely will be in 2017, Shelley told Reuters. What is the purpose of the passage?
| A．To praise Brightman. |
| B．To persuade the readers that Brightman is more famous than Lady Gaga. |
| C．To instruct the readers how to begin a space flight. |
| D．To give some information about Brightman. |
When did Brightman start training for her space travel?
| A．Last winter. | B．Last autumn. |
| C．Next spring. | D．Next summer. |
The underlined word "she" in Paragraph 4 refers to ____.
| A．Brightman | B．Lady Gaga |
| C．Andrew Lloyd Webber | D．Tom Shelley |
The fifth paragraph is mainly carried out ____.
| A．in time order | B．in space order |
| C．by giving examples | D．by comparison |
It happened to me recently.I was telling someone how much I had enjoyed reading Barack Obama’s Dreams From My Father and how it had changed my views of our President.A friend I was talking to agreed with me that it was，in his words，“a brilliantly (精彩地)written book”．However，he then went on to talk about Mr Obama in a way which suggested he had no idea of his background at all.I sensed that I was talking to a book liar.
And it seems that my friend is not the only one.Approximately two thirds of people have lied about reading a book which they haven’t.In the World Book Day’s“Report on Guilty Secrets”，Dreams From My Father is at number 9.The report lists ten books，and various authors，which people have lied about reading，and as I’m not one to lie too often (I’d hate to be caught out)，I’ll admit here and now that I haven’t read the entire top ten.But I am pleased to say that，unlike 42 percent of people，I have read the book at number one，George Orwell’s 1984.I think it’s really brilliant.
The World Book Day report also has some other interesting information in it.It says that many people lie about having read Jane Austen，Charles Dickens，Fyodor Dostoevsky (I haven’t read him，but haven’t lied about it either) and Herman Melville.
Asked why they lied，the most common reason was to“impress”someone they were speaking to.This could be tricky if the conversation became more indepth!
But when asked which authors they actually enjoy，people named J．K.Rowling，John Grisham，Sophie Kinsella (ah，the big sellers，in other words)．Fortytwo percent of people asked admitted they turned to the back of the book to read the end before finishing the story (I’ll come clean：I do this and am astonished that 58 percent said they had never done so)．How did the author find his friend a book liar?
| A．By judging his manner of speaking. |
| B．By looking into his background. |
| C．By mentioning a famous name. |
| D．By discussing the book itself. |
Which of the following is a“guilty secret”according to the World Book Day report?
| A．Charles Dickens is very low on the topten list. |
| B．42% of people pretended to have read 1984. |
| C．The author admitted having read 9 books. |
| D．Dreams From My Father is hardly read. |
By lying about reading，a person hopes to________.
| A．control the conversation |
| B．appear knowledgeable |
| C．learn about the book |
| D．make more friends |
．What is the author’s attitude to 58% of readers?
| A．Favorable. | B．Uncaring |
| C．Doubtful | D．Friendly |
Argentina in the late nineteenth century was an exciting place.Around 1870，it was experiencing an economic(经济的)boom，and the capital，Buenos Aires，attracted many people.Farmers，as well as a flood of foreigners from Spain and Italy，came to Buenos Aires seeking jobs.These jobs didn’t pay well，and the people felt lonely and disappointed with their new life in the city.As the unhappy newcomers mixed together in the poor parts of the city，the dance known as the tango(探戈舞)came into being.
At the beginning the tango was a dance of the lower classes.It was danced in the bars and streets.At that time there were many fewer women than men，so if a man didn’t want to be left out，his only choice was to dance with another man so that he could attract the attention of the few available women.Gradually，the dance spread into the upper classes of Argentinean society and became more respectable.
In Europe at this time，strong interest in dance from around the world was beginning.This interest in international dance was especially evident in Paris.Every kind of dance from ballet(芭蕾舞)to belly dancing could be found on the stages of the Paris theaters.After tango dancers from Argentina arrived in Europe，they began to draw the interest of the public as they performed their exciting dance in cafes.Though not everyone approved of the new dance，saying it was a little too shocking，the dance did find enough supporters to make it popular.
The popularity(流行)of the tango continued to grow in many other parts of the world.Soldiers who returned to the United States from World War I brought the tango to North America.It reached Japan in 1926，and in 2003 the Argentinean embassy in Seoul hired a local tango dancer to act as a kind of dance ambassador，and promote tango dancing throughout South Korea.The origin of the tango is associated with________.
| A．belly dancers |
| B．American soldiers |
| C．a Spanish city |
| D．the capital of Argentina |
Which of the following is true about the tango?
| A．It was created by foreigners from Spain and Italy. |
| B．People of the upper classes loved the tango most. |
| C．It was often danced by two males in the beginning. |
| D．A dancer in Seoul became the Argentinean ambassador. |
Before World War I，the tango spread to________.
| A．America | B．Japan |
| C．France | D．South Korea |
What can be the best title for the text?
| A．How to Dance the Tango |
| B．The History of the Tango |
| C．How to Promote the Tango |
| D．The Modern Tango Boom |
We’ve reached a strange－some would say unusual－point.While fighting world hunger continues to be the matter of vital importance according to a recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO)，more people now die from being overweight，or say，from being extremely fat，than from being underweight.It’s the good life that’s more likely to kill us these days.
Worse，nearly l8 million children under the age of five around the world are estimated to be overweight.What’s going on?
We really don’t have many excuses for our weight problems.The dangers of the problem have been drilled into us by publichealth campaigns since 2001 and the message is getting through—up to a point.
In the 1970s，Finland，for example，had the highest rate of heart disease in the world and being overweight was its main cause.Not any more.A publichealth campaign has greatly reduced the number of heart disease deaths by 80 per cent over the past three decades.
Maybe that explains why the percentage of people in Finland taking diet pills doubled between 2001 and 2005，and doctors even offer surgery of removing fat inside and change the shape of the body.That has become a sort of fashion.No wonder it ranks as the world’s most bodyconscious country.
We know what we should be doing to lose weight—but actually doing it is another matter.By far the most popular excuse is not taking enough exercise.More than half of us admit we lack willpower.
Others blame good food.They say：it’s just too inviting and it makes them overeat.Still others lay the blame on the Americans，complaining that pounds have piled on thanks to eating too much Americanstyle fast food.
Some also blame their parents－their genes.But unfortunately，the parents are wronged because they’re normal in shape，or rather slim.
It’s a similar story around the world，although people are relatively unlikely to have tried to lose weight.Parents are eager to see their kids shape up.Do as I say－not as I do.What is the“strange”point mentioned in the first sentence?
| A．The good life is a greater risk than the bad life. |
| B．Starvation is taking more people’s lives in the world. |
| C．WHO report shows people’s unawareness of food safety. |
| D．Overweight issue remains unresolved despite WHO’s efforts. |
Why does the author think that people have no excuse for being overweight?
| A．A lot of effective diet pills are available. |
| B．Body image has nothing to do with good food. |
| C．They have been made fully aware of its dangers. |
| D．There are too many overweight people in the world. |
．The example of Finland is used to illustrate________.
| A．the cause of heart disease |
| B．the fashion of body shaping |
| C．the effectiveness of a campaign |
| D．the history of a bodyconscious country |
Which would be the best title for the passage?
| A．Actions or Excuses? |
| B．Overweight or Underweight? |
| C．WHO in a Dilemma |
| D．No Longer Dying of Hunger |
In my living room，there is a plaque (匾) that advises me to“Bloom (开花) where you are planted.” It reminds me of Dorothy.I got to know Dorothy in the early 1980s，when I was teaching Early Childhood Development through a program with Union College in Barbourville，Kentucky.The job responsibilities required occasional visits to the classroom of each teacher in the program.Dorothy stands out in my memory as one who“bloomed”in her remote area.
Dorothy taught in a school in Harlan County，Kentucky，Appalachian Mountain area.To get to her school from the town of Harlan，I followed a road winding around the mountain.In the eightmile journey，I crossed the same railroad track five times，giving the possibility of getting caught by the same train five times.Rather than feeling excited by this drive through the mountains，I found it depressing.The poverty level was shocking and the small shabby houses gave me the greatest feeling of hopelessness.
From the moment of my arrival at the little school，all gloom (忧郁) disappeared.Upon arriving at Dorothy’s classroom.I was greeted with smiling faces and treated like a queen.The children had been prepared to show me their latest projects.Dorothy told me with a big smile that they were serving poke greens salad and cornbread for“dinner”(lunch)．In case you don’t know，poke greens are a weedtype plant that grows wild，especially on poor ground.
Dorothy never ran out of reports of exciting activities of her students.Her enthusiasm never cooled down.When it came time to sit for the testing and interviewing required to receive her Child Development Associate Certification，Dorothy was ready.She came to the assessment and passed in all areas.Afterward，she invited me to the oneandonly steak house in the area to celebrate her victory，as if she had received her Ph.D.degree.After the meal，she placed a little box containing an old pen in my hand.She said it was a family heirloom (传家宝)，but to me it is a treasured symbol of appreciation and pride that cannot be matched with things.“Early Childhood Development”in Paragraph 1 refers to________.
| A．a program directed by Dorothy |
| B．a course given by the author |
| C．an activity held by the students |
| D．an organization sponsored by Union college |
In the journey，the author was most disappointed at seeing________.
| A．the long track |
| B．the poor houses |
| C．the same train |
| D．the winding road |
Upon arriving at the classroom，the author was cheered up by________.
| A．a warm welcome |
| B．the sight of poke greens |
| C．Dorothy’s latest projects |
| D．a big dinner made for her |
What can we know about Dorothy from the last paragraph?
A．She was invited to a celebration at a restaurant.
B．She got a pen as a gift from the author.
C．She passed the required assessment.
D．She received her Ph.D.degree.What does the author mainly intend to tell us?
| A．Whatever you do，you must do it carefully. |
| B．Whoever you are，you deserve equal treatment. |
| C．However poor you are，you have the right to education. |
| D．Wherever you are，you can accomplish your achievement. |
Going green seems to be a fad(时尚)for a lot of people these days.Whether that is good or bad，we can’t really say，but for the two of us，going green is not a fad but a lifestyle.
On April 22,2011，we decided to go green every single day for an entire year.This meant doing 365 different green things，and it also meant challenging ourselves to go green beyond the easy things.Rather than recycle and reduce our energy，we had to think of 365 different green things to do and this was no easy task.
With the idea of going green every single day for a year，Our Green Year started.My wife and I decided to educate people about how they could go green in their lives and hoped we could show people all the green things that could be done to help the environment.We wanted to push the message that every little bit helps.
Over the course of Our Green Year，we completely changed our lifestyles.We now shop at organic(有机的)stores.We consume less meat，choosing green food.We have greatly reduced our buying we don’t need.We have given away half of what we owned through websites.Our home is kept clean by vinegar and lemon juice，with no chemical cleaners.We make our own butter，enjoying the smell of homemade fresh bread.In our home office anyone caught doing something ungreen might be punished.
Our minds have been changed by Our Green Year.We are grateful for the chance to have been able to go green and educate others.We believe that we do have the power to change things and help our planet.What might be the best title for the passage?
| A．Going Green |
| B．Protecting the Planet |
| C．Keeping OpenMinded |
| D．Celebrating Our Green Year |
It was difficult for the couple to live a green life for the whole year because________.
| A．they were expected to follow the green fad |
| B．they didn’t know how to educate other people |
| C．they were unwilling to reduce their energy |
| D．they needed to perform unusual green tasks |
What did the couple do over the course of Our Green Year?
| A．They tried to get out of their ungreen habits. |
| B．They ignored others’ ungreen behavior. |
| C．They chose better chemical cleaners. |
| D．They sold their homemade food. |
What can we infer from the last paragraph?
| A．The government will give support to the green project. |
| B．The couple may continue their project in the future. |
| C．Some people disagree with the couple’s green ideas. |
| D．Our Green Year is becoming a national campaign. |