There is an interesting, but at the same time a sad phenomenon now: there is a rise in the number of singers and bands that have little to do with good music．Many singers or bands know little about what good music means．What is the cause of this rise?
Most of these singers have taken music as a “job” because it is a good source of making money．And if you have a good appearance and also expensive clothes to show off at your concerts or at different appearances in public, then your voice is not as important as it should be．The public will prefer to admire more the most interesting parts of your body, whether you are a girl or a boy．They will even forget about the fact that you are there to show your music skills, not your dancing, which is important too, but not at such a high level．
Therefore, we can see many young girls on TV who look very good but who have nothing to do with music．They choose to wear very provocative（挑逗性的）clothes to catch attention, but when it comes to singing they are a complete mess and one doesn’t need to have an ear for music to notice their lack of talent．But anyway, they have concerts and they enjoy travelling from one place to another．It is the public’s fault because they accept this and are pleased with this commercial music．People who enjoy this kind of music are generally young people while adults prefer listening to old good bands．
However, the young generation should understand while appearance is important, it is less important than talent and a good voice．If somebody has a great voice and wants to become a singer, he should take some special courses in this area, because they will help them improve singing abilities．The passage shows that many singers consider music as _______．
| A．an art serving the public | B．a good way of making money |
| C．a way of living fully | D．a fashionable lifestyle |
From the passage we can learn that _______．
| A．appearance is the most important thing in the world of music |
| B．all people who have received training in singing can become famous |
| C．adults should help young people improve their abilities |
| D．a singer’s talent and voice are the most important factors |
What do you think is the author’s attitude towards the rising number of new singers and bands?
| A．Critical． | B．Supportive． | C．Tolerant． | D．Worried． |
What kind of article does this passage belong to?
| A．entertainment | B．sport | C．comment | D．Story |
Have you got a Facebook account? Are you thinking of getting one? Jamie Simmonds has just signed up. Let’s see how she’s getting along.
As from June 2012, Facebook had over 955 million active users. The average Facebook user has 130 friends. Facebook is translated into more than 70 different languages. The world spends 700 billion minutes a month on Facebook. Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg’s Facebook page says he’s a Harvard graduate, even though he actually dropped out to focus on Facebook. The site is valued at between $7.9 and $11 billion.Which of the following is conveyed in this passage?
| A．Visiting Facebook website took up a large part of Jamie’s time and energy. |
| B．Jamie is enthusiastic about her present job. |
| C．Facebbook was created by a Harvard graduate, Mark Zuckerberg. |
| D．Compared with Facebook, Twitter is a better choice for Jamie. |
Why did Jamie’s boyfriend ask her whether she had broken up with him?
| A．He had seen photos of Jamie dancing on the table. |
| B．She showed in her Facebook that she was still not dating anyone. |
| C．Her boyfriend was angry that she refused to add him as her friend. |
| D．He saw the name of her ex-boyfriend on his news feed. |
What does the word “un-friend” mean in the underlined sentence “Someone’s un-friended me!”?
| A．Be unfriendly to others |
| B．Remove a name from friend list |
| C．Have a quarrel with somebody |
| D．End friendship with somebody |
For a while, my neighborhood was taken over by an army of joggers(慢跑者). They were there all the time: early morning, noon, and evening. There were little old ladies in gray sweats, young couples in Adidas shoes, middle-aged men with red faces. “Come on!” My friend Alex encouraged me to join him as he jogged by my house every evening. “You’ll feel great.”
Well, I had nothing against feeling great and if Alex could jog every day, anyone could. So I took up jogging seriously and gave it a good two months of my life, and not a day more. Based on my experience, jogging is the most overvalued form of exercise around, and judging from the number of the people who left our neighborhood jogging army, I’m not alone in my opinion.
First of all, jogging is very hard on the body. Your legs and feet take a real pounding（重击）running down a road for two or three miles. I developed foot, leg, and back problems. Then I read about a nationally famous jogger who died of a heart attack while jogging, and I had something else to worry about. Jogging doesn’t kill hundreds of people, but if you have any physical weaknesses, jogging will surely bring them out, as they did with me.
Secondly, I got no enjoyment out of jogging. Putting one foot in front of the other for forty-five minutes isn’t my idea of fun. Jogging is also a lonely pastime. Some joggers say, “I love being out there with just my thoughts.” Well, my thoughts began to bore me, and most of them were on how much my legs hurt.
And how could I enjoy something that brought me pain? And that wasn’t just the first week;it was practically every day for two months. I never got past the pain level, and pain isn’t fun. What a cruel way to do it! So many other exercises, including walking, lead to almost the same results painlessly, so why jog?
I don’t jog any more, and I don’t think I ever will. I’m walking two miles three times a week at a fast pace, and that feels good. I bicycle to work when the weather is good. I’m getting exercise, and I’m enjoying it at the same time. I could never say the same for jogging, and I’ve found a lot of better ways to stay in shape.The underlined word “them”(Paragraph 3) most probably refers to _____.
| A．heart attacks | B．back problems |
| C．famous joggers | D．physical weaknesses |
What was the writer’s attitude towards jogging in the beginning?
| A．He felt it was worth a try. |
| B．He was very fond of it. |
| C．He was strongly against it. |
| D．He thought it must be painful. |
Why did the writer give up jogging two months later?
| A．He disliked doing exercise outside. |
| B．He found it neither healthy nor interesting. |
| C．He was afraid of having a heart attack. |
| D．He was worried about being left alone. |
From the writer’s experience, we can conclude that______.
| A．not everyone enjoys jogging |
| B．he is the only person who hates jogging |
| C．nothing other than jogging can help people keep fit |
| D．jogging makes people feel greater than any other sport |
Never before in Chinese history has a documentary film aroused so much public enthusiasm. Everybody is talking about a new 7-part documentary called A Bite of China which was recently broadcast late at night on CCTV I. The documentary describes various gourmet items across the vast Chinese culinary (烹饪) landscape.
According to Taobao, China’s biggest online retail website, just five days after the series began to air, nearly 6 million people went to the site in search of various local specialities, particularly those mentioned in the documentary. More than 7.2 million deals were concluded. A ham producer from Yunnan Province saw his sales grow 17-fold in five days.
However, one can’t help but believe that the documentary’s popularity is probably linked to the endless stream of terrible food security issues that have emerged in recent years. In one well-received article, a netizen wrote, “I wonder how many felt so empty-hearted and sighed after watching the film .Formaldehyde(甲醛) sprayed cabbage, Sudan Red colored salty eggs, restaurants using gutter oil. The list is long…”
A varied and ancient food culture that is famous world-wide and which should have made the Chinese proud ends like this: one can only sigh. Food is the most vital thing in people’s lives. Yet China’s food industry is a typical description of “bad money driving out the good”. The market is huge while the cost of faking and cheating is so low for unscrupulous (不道德的) businessmen; and the punishment is too light. Take the milk industry as an example. Although Sanlu, the company that sold the melamine-adulterated milk powder, was punished, thousands of other dairies didn’t work hard to improve the quality. In order to allow national brands to survive, Chinese authorities are happy to loosen their regulations.
As the documentary shows, people are attracted not to gourmet items like matsutake, a species of rare mushroom grown naturally in remote forests, but to common Chinese dishes like barley, lotus root or tofu. They are what meet our basic needs. This explains why people are so excited about A Bite of China---it is a reminder that there is still a world out there where food is excellent and people have dignity.The underlined word “gourmet items” probably means________.
| A．beautiful clothes | B．latest technology |
| C．delicious food | D．great inventions |
The second paragraph mainly talks about______.
| A．the producer of the document |
| B．the content of the document |
| C．the history of Chinese gourmet |
| D．The popularity of the document |
We can infer from what a netizen wrote in one well –received article that ______.
| A．none of the television viewers have a knowledge of the Chinese food culture |
| B．there is a huge contrast between the ancient food culture and the reality |
| C．the price of food is too high for many common people |
| D．the documentary was made by a world-famous Chinese director |
According to the passage, China’s food industry is full of faking and cheating because_____.
| A．there are still so many poor people at the present time |
| B．the punishment for unscrupulous businessmen isn’t serious enough |
| C．the Chinese government encourages it to do so |
| D．the food technology is not so advanced as in developed countries |
An incredible dog has mastered more than just the doggy paddle (狗刨式游泳) — the golden brown pet helps disabled children learn how to surf. Ricochet’s owner Judy Fridono said, “I was working with her at balance and coordination (协作). Her balance is so good that she can help to stabilize the board for the kids. And it makes them feel good to know that Ricochet is there with them, keeping them company.”
After becoming an expert, two-year-old Ricochet helps the disabled children build up the confidence to get on the board themselves. Dressed in a yellow jacket, Ricochet helps to counter-balance the board and acts as a reassuring presence.
Ms. Fridono knows what an impact her beloved dog can have. She herself was severely disabled since her teens. Having Ricochet around lifts her spirits, and inspires her to conquer her pain to get on the board. “Ricochet has taught me to focus on what I can do, rather than what I can’t,” she said.
One of those who have benefited from Ricochet’s skills is six-year-old Ian McFarland. In 2008 a car crash left him with brain damage. Although he had loved surfing before the accident, he was too nervous to go back into the water. His fear turned to excitement, when he was told he could try a tandem (双人) surf session with Ricochet. Their session was a success and by the end of it, Ian was smiling from ear to ear. As well as helping with treatments, Ricochet also raised £5,000 to help continue Ian’s recovery.
Over the last 10 months, Ricochet’s excellent performances on the sea have raised more than £30,000 for a number of charity causes.According to the passage, Ricochet is .
| A．a doctor | B．a dog |
| C．a dog owner | D．a disabled boy |
What role does Ricochet play according to the passage?
| A．She acts as a pet to please its owner. |
| B．She accompanies the disabled children at home. |
| C．She helps the disabled children learn to surf. |
| D．She works as a guide dog for the blind. |
Ian McFarland considers Ricochet’s work to be .
| A．challenging | B．doubtful |
| C．attractive | D．satisfying |
Which statement can best describe Ricochet?
| A．The two-year-old dog is severely disabled. |
| B．Ricochet helps youngsters build up their confidence. |
| C．Ricochet helps youngsters in their daily life. |
| D．Ricochet is a lifesaver on the sea. |
Why is pink or purple a color for girls and blue or brown for boys?
The answer depends largely on cultural values as well as personal experiences. To the Egyptians, green was a color that represented the hope and joy of spring. While for Muslims, it means heaven. Red is a symbol of good luck in many cultures. In China, children are given money in a red envelope to bring good fortune in the New Year. For many nations, blue is a symbol of protection and religious beliefs. Greek people often wear a blue necklace hoping to protect themselves against evils（灾祸）.
People’s choice of colors is also influenced by their bodies’reactions （反应）toward them. Green is said to be the most restful color. It has the ability to reduce pain and relax people both mentally and physically. People who work in green environment have been found to have fewer stomach aches.
Red can cause a person’s blood pressure to rise and increase people’s appetites（食欲）. Many decorators will include different shades of red in the restaurant. Similarly, many commercial websites will have a red “Buy Now” button because red is a color that easily catches a person’s eye.
Blue is another calming color. Unlike red, blue can cause people to lose appetite. So if you want to eat less, some suggest that eating from blue plates can help.
The next time you are deciding on what to wear or what color to decorate your room, think about the color carefully.Muslims regard green as a symbol of heaven mainly because of their _______.
| A．cultural values |
| B．commercial purposes |
| C．personal experiences |
| D．physical reactions to the color |
Why will many commercial websites have a red “Buy Now” button?
| A．To relax people physically. |
| B．To increase people’s appetites. |
| C．To encourage people to make a purchase(购买). |
| D．To cause a person’s blood pressure to rise. |
What color might help lose weight according to the text?
| A．Red | B．Green. |
| C．Blue. | D．Purple. |
Which of the following would be the most proper title for the text?
| A．Colors and Human Beings |
| B．The Cultural Meaning of Color |
| C．Colors and Personal Experiences |
| D．The Meaning and Function of Color |