In the early part of the twentieth century, racism（种族歧视）was widespread in the United States. Many African Americans were not given equal opportunities in education or employment. Marian Anderson (1897-1993) was an African American woman who gained fame as a concert singer in this climate of racism. She was born in Philadelphia and sang in church choirs during her childhood. When she asked for admission to a local music school in 1917, she was refused because she was black. Unable to attend music school, she began her career as a singer for religious activities. In 1929, she went to Europe to study voice and spent several years performing there. Her voice was widely praised throughout Europe. Then she returned to the US in 1935 and became a top concert singer after performing at Town Hall in New York City.
Racism again affected Anderson in 1939. When it was arranged to sing at Constitution Hall in Washington, DC, the Daughters of the American Revolution opposed（反对）it because of her color. She sang instead at the Lincoln Memorial for over 75 000 people. In 1955, Anderson became the first black soloist（独唱） to sing in the Metropolitan Opera of New York City. The famous conductor Toscanini praised her voice as “heard only once in a hundred years”. She was a US delegate（代表）to the United Nations in 1958 and won the UN peace prize in 1977. Anderson eventually triumphed over racism.According to this passage, what did Marian Anderson do between 1917 and 1929?
| A．She studied at a music school. |
| B．She sang for religious activities. |
| C．She sang at Town Hall in New York. |
| D．She studied voice in Europe. |
Toscanini thought that Marian Anderson_________. .
| A．had a very rare(稀有的) voice |
| B．sang occasionally in public |
| C．sang only once in many years |
| D．was seldom heard by people |
Anderson’s beautiful voice was first recognized________ .
A. at the Lincoln Memorial B. in Washington, DC.
C. in Europe D. at the United NationsThis passage shows that Anderson finally defeated racism in the US by____.
| A．opposing the government | B．working for the United Nations |
| C．singing in the streets | D．working hard to perfect her art |
Speech—the act of uttering sounds to convey meaning—is a kind of human action. Like any other
constantly repeated action, speaking has to be learned, but once it is learned, it becomes a generally
unconscious and apparently automatic process.
As far as we can determine, human beings do not need to be forced to speak; most babies seem to possess a
sort of instinctive drive to produce speech like noises. How to speak and what to say are another matter
altogetner. There actions are learned from the particular society into which the baby is born; so that, like all
conduct that is learned from a society—from the people around us—speech is a patterned activity.
The meandering(漫目无地的)babble(咿呀学语)and chatter of a young child are eventually channeled by
imitation into a few orderly grooves that represent the pattern accepted as meaningful by the people around
him. Similarly, a child’s indiscriminate(不加分辨的)practice of putting things into his mouth becomes limited to putting food into his mouth in a certain way.
The sounds that a child can make are more varied and numerous than the sounds that any particular language uses. However, a child born into a society with a pattem of language is encouraged to make a small selection of sounds and to make these few sounds over and over until it is natural for him to make these
sounds and not others.For an adult, the process of speaking usually involves .
| A．conscious selection of sounds | B．imitation of those around him |
| C．a drive to make noises | D．unconscious actions |
The selection says that most babies have an instinctive drive to .
| A．express ideas in words | B．make speech like noise |
| C．convey meaning | D．imitate sounds around them |
Conduct that is learned from a society may be called .
| A．instinctive drive | B．selection | C．automatic activity | D．patterned activity |
The sounds that a child is able to make are .
| A．not as varied as those used in language | B．more varied and numerous than those in any language |
| C．far fewer than those needed to form a language | D．completely different from the sounds of language |
We may say that a child has learned to speak if he .
| A．makes varied sounds | B．carefully considers each sound he makes |
| C．makes only certain sounds naturally | D．imitates people around him |
Free Fun Guides
| Free Admission to Hundreds of Museums Sept.25 What a weekend! This Saturday, Sept.25, hundreds of U.S. museums admission free for the Smithsonian’s annual Museum Day. Unlike previous Museum Day celebrations, you must sign up for a free ticket that admits two people to any of the participating museums. That means filling out a form and having the ticket emailed to you. Not bad for a freebie that will give you admission to museums such as the Adler Planetarium in Chicago and the Air & Space Museum in San Diego. Some participating museums are closed on Saturday, so they offer free admission on Sunday, Sept.26, instead. |
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| Free Admission to National Parks & Public Lands Would you rather visit a National Park for free instead of a museum for free? The choice is yours on Saturday, Sept.25, as all 392National Parks and all other national public lands are admission free for National Public Lands Day. The fee-free day for national parks, forests, monuments and other public lands falls on the same day as the Smithsonian Museum Day, when hundreds of U. S. museums are also admission free. If you love the outdoors, consider signing up or just show up for one of the volunteer projects at the public lands sites on Saturday. Spend the morning helping clean up and restore our national natural treasures, then spend the afternoon just enjoying and exploring them. |
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| Free Books for Kid @ Barnes & Noble! If your kids love to read—and we hope they do!—be sure to sign them up for Barnes & Noble’s summer reading programs so they can earn a free book! It’s easy for kids ages 12 and under to participate. For Barnes & Noble’s Passport to Summer Reading program, just download and print out your passport. Read any eight books, log them into the passport and bring it to any Barnes & Noble by September 7. Choose your free book from the list on the back of the passport. |
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| FREE Night of Theater Across the U. S in October Hark! ‘Tis a chance to see this thing called the play, and not just Mr. Shakespeare’s! It’s the annual run of the Free Night of Theater, when hundreds of theaters in 120 U. S. cities give away thousands of tickets to local productions. While the kickoff date is October 15, many of the theaters start releasing their free tickets by Oct. 1 or in waves during the month of October for performance dates throughout the month. Ticket seekers are limited to two tickets for one performance. Find your city on the Free Night of Theater Website and check the listings for performances, their dates and their ticket giveaway times and locations. |
What is new about this year’s Museum Day?
| A．People can visit a museum for free | B．Two museums offer free admission |
| C．People will get free tickets online | D．Some museums open for free on Sunday |
How is National Public Lands Day different from the other three events?
| A．It comes on Sept. 25 | B．Visitors may offer help |
| C．All can visit the parks for free | D．Visitors may choose what to do |
How can kids get a free book?
| A．By choosing one of the books they have read | B．By downloading and printing out a passport |
| C．By reading eight books at any Barnes & Noble | D．By listening to B & N’s free online stories |
Which of the following shows the similarity between Museum Day and Free Night of Theater?
| A．They take place once a year | B．They last for the same length of time |
| C．The tickets can be used in any U.S cities | D．The same number of free tickets is given away |
The main purpose of the passage is to.
| A．help people who are very poor | B．introduce ways to save money |
| C．give guidance on how to have some fun | D．provide information about free things to do |
I was a newcomer of Miss Burn’s seventh grade. Past“newcomer”experiences had been difficult, so I was
very anxious to fit in.
Lunchtime was a pleasant surprise when the girls all crowded around my table. Their chat was friendly, so
I began to relax. My new classmates filled me in on the school, the teachers and the other kids. it wasn’t long
before the class herd(书呆子)was pointed out to me: Mary Lou. Actually she called herself Mary Louise. A
formal, overmodest young girl with old-fashioned clothes, she wasn’t ugly—not even funny looking. Practical
shoes, long wool skirt and a blouse completed the image of a complete herd. The girls’ whispers got louder and
louder. Mary Lou didn’t notice this. After school, the girls invited me to join them in front of the school.
Arms wrapped around her backpack, Mary Lou came down the school steps. The taunting began—rude,
biting comments and disrespectful words from the girls. I paused, then joined right in. My force began to pick
up as I approached her, mean(卑劣)remarks falling from my lips. I even pulled the belt of her backpack and then
pushed her. The belt broke, Mary Lou fell. Everyone was laughing and patting me. I fit in. But I was not proud.
Something inside me hurt.
Mary Lou got up, gathered her books and—without a tear shed—off, she went. She held her head high as a
small trickle of blood ran down from her injured knee.
I turned to leave with my laughing friends and noticed a man standing beside his car. His skin, dark hair
and handsome features told me this was her father. Respectful of Mary Lou’s proud spirit, he remained still and
watched the lonely girl walk toward him. Only his eyes—shining with both grief and pride—followed. As I
passed, he looked at me in silence with burning tears that spoke to my shame and scolded my heart. He didn’t
speak a word.
No scolding from a teacher or a parent could linger(逗留)as much as that hurt in my heart from the day a
father’s eyes taught me kindness and strength and dignity. I never again joined the cruel herds. I never
again hurt someone for my own gain. The writer felt she fit in when.
| A．she relaxed and talked with her new classmate | B．she became a leader of a school club |
| C．she picked a wing off a butterfly | D．others cheered for her after she treated Mary badly |
What does the underlined word“taunting”mean in the article?
| A．Playing a game | B．Joining a club |
| C．Criticizing a person | D．Watching a movie |
Mary’s fatherafter he saw what happened to her daughter.
| A．felt shameful and angry for his daughter | B．felt sad and proud for his daughter’s bravery |
| C．felt it necessary to teach the writer a lesson | D．felt it a pity that she didn’t fight back |
The writer would never hurt someone for her own gain because she.
| A．was impressed by Mary’s calmness |
| B．was afraid to be scolded by Mary’s father |
| C．was sorry she hurt Mary’s knee |
| D．was aware that it was a shame to make fun of Mary |
According to the article, the writer is probably.
| A．a rude girl who enjoys making fun of others |
| B．a clever girl who is good at making friends with others |
| C．a shy girl who isn’t good at communicating with others |
| D．a brave girl who is willing to correct her mistakes |
Short Skirts Are Out!
After decades of skimpy skirts and sleeveless tops on game days, some schools in the US are saying cheerleader uniforms will have to meet stricter dress codes when they are worn in class.
In Lake County, Florida, cheerleaders with uniforms too skimpy for the code are being asked to wear long shorts or trousers under their skirts and a T-shirt under the sleeveless tops, according to a district memo. Principals at two of Lake’s eight high schools – Leesburg and Lake Minneola – are not allowing the outfits in school at all.
Michelle Thomas, a cheerleader at Leesburg High School, was disappointed when she learned she couldn’t wear her outfit to school on game days.
“It shows that we’re a team just like all the other sports,” she said.
But the school administrators did not agree. “During the educational portion of the day, they have to meet the dress code just like every other student,” said school board chairwoman Debbie Stivender, who ordered the staff to bring the outfits into line with the dress code.
Bare midriffs are banned across the state by the Florida High School Athletic Association, but no state rules mention cheerleader miniskirts. Sheila Noone, a spokeswoman for cheerleading uniform company Varsity Brands, says the outfits haven’t become more revealing over the last 10 years. She says that the short skirts are designed to help the girls jump and kick.
“Cheerleading is athletic,” Noone said. “There’s a lot of jumping, so you won’t want a knee-length skirt that might hamper a tie touch.”
Most cheerleaders were sad to hear the news, but say they’ll follow the rules. Even male cheerleaders, whose pants and tops meet dress codes, chose not to wear their outfits to show unity.
“I understanding, because they are kind of short,” said Holly Bishop, 14, a Lake Minneola High School cheerleader, about her miniskirt. “It would have been really, really cool to wear them to school.”According to the new dress codes for cheerleaders in some American schools, __________.
| A．bare midriffs are banned |
| B．cheerleading miniskirts are banned |
| C．cheerleader uniforms have switched from skirts to trousers |
| D．cheerleaders have to make their uniforms less revealing |
Which of the following statement is TRUE according to the article?
| A．School administrators believe cheerleader uniforms do not match school dress codes. |
| B．Most cheerleaders show understanding of the new dress codes. |
| C．Sheila Noone believes that cheerleading miniskirts are not revealing. |
| D．School administrators don’t take cheerleading seriously. |
Some cheerleaders are not happy about the news because __________.
| A．they hate the dress codes that other sports have |
| B．they consider their uniforms special and cool |
| C．they want to wear revealing clothes |
| D．they will have to buy new uniforms |
Competition between international universities is heating up, as China grows as one of the largest exporters of students aiming to study abroad. “Lots of universities are becoming more and more aggressive to attract Chinese students. Every day I receive contacts from universities in the US expressing the desire to come to China to recruit students,” said Frank Joseph, a commercial officer from embassy of the United States.
One key reason why more Chinese students are able to study abroad is the economy: With China’s boom within the past decade, more families have the financial wherewithal (资金) to send their children to international universities. There will be a total of 200,000 family-funded Chinese students studying overseas in 2011, up 20 percent from last year, said Wu Zaofeng, deputy secretary general of China Education Association for International Exchange.
International institutions, Joseph said, are also facing increasingly tough financial situation with a shortage of domestic students and a drop in government subsidies (补贴). Students, especially in the US are paying high tuition fees and living expenses. Chinese students with money to spend, according to experts, can fill up the gap. Students on average spend 150,000 yuan to 200,000 yuan every year studying in US, according to statistics from the US Institute of International Education. During 2009-2010, there were approximately 81,000 Chinese students studying in the US, up 19.8 percent from 2008.
Representatives from approximately 60 universities from the United States are planning to arrive in Beijing this weekend to attract more Chinese students at this year’s fair. Besides the US, many other countries are also vying (竞争) to enroll Chinese students.
Post-study work visa put out by British government allows all international students completing a UK degree qualification to apply for a visa to stay on and look for work in UK for up to 2 years. Being the third most popular destination for international students next to the US and the UK, France has set up two types of scholarships and has handed out an increase of 26 percent in scholarship funds to Chinese students in recent years.The reason for heating up competition between international universities is __________.
| A．that China has become one of the largest exporters of the students aiming to study abroad |
| B．China’s boom, the students’ desire and foreign universities’ commercial motive |
| C．that the students in China are becoming richer and richer |
| D．that the students in foreign countries do not want to go to universities |
Why are more Chinese students able to study abroad?
| A．Because their families have enough money to send them to international universities. |
| B．Because they can’t go to the best universities at home. |
| C．Because they want to win the scholarship of foreign universities |
| D．Because the Chinese students enjoy following others and they want to be independent. |
Which of the following statements is TRUE?
| A．In 2011 there will be 200,000 Chinese students studying in the US. |
| B．Chinese students are able to study abroad for their relatives overseas. |
| C．In 2011 there will be 200,000 state-funded Chinese students studying overseas. |
| D．There are fewer family-funded Chinese students studying abroad in 2010 than in 2011. |
From the passage we can learn that __________.
| A．the number of foreign students is becoming smaller and smaller |
| B．the international universities are short of money |
| C．there were approximately 81,000 foreign students studying in the US during 2009-2010 |
| D．the Chinese students spend more money than the American students |