【推荐1】For many pop idol fans, having the opportunity to participate in a music video for their favorite pop songs might be a dream coming true.

I had taken lessons at a Chinese-owned dance studio, and they began to hold auditions (试镜) for a special project-filming a music video! Those who passed the auditions would rehearse (排练) a well-designed dance and be filmed by a professional camera crew. I really like the song they chose, which is from a famous group I really like, so I auditioned.

I was confident at first in the audition, but as I felt more pressure, I forgot a few moves. This definitely hurt my chances, so I became very on edge about the results. Additionally, because the group was a four-member group, the studio was only looking for four people, and over 20 people had auditioned. I was very unsure if my performance would be good enough for a callback.

Two weeks later when I had just about given up hearing back, I got a text from the studio manager, saying, “Congratulations! You have passed the audition.” I could barely contain my excitement, but wanting to seem mature, I replied to her in a calm and collected manner.

We were scheduled for five rehearsals in total, and the filming date was set for the middle of April. What really stirred up my excitement was knowing that we would be filmed in public. I would also be dancing the part of my favorite member.

Our first rehearsal was on a Wednesday. The studio had rented the basement of a theater. There were, of course, difficulties. The dance routine included formations, so we had to learn the positions and transitions — things that we did not usually learn in our regular dance lessons. But it was just the four of us, and our teacher had enough time to work with each of us individually.

I have been practicing hard for my dream. I hope everything goes well, and I look forward to the upcoming performance!

1. How did the author feel about the results after forgetting a few moves?

A．Confident

B．Ambitious.

C．Confused.

D．Worried.

2. Why did the author reply to the manager calmly when she got the exciting text?

A．Because she intended to present a mature image to the manager.

B．Because she was trained well enough to contain her feelings.

C．Because she knew that she was good enough for such a callback.

D．Because she had known the result before the manager informed her of it.

3. What was the author’s first rehearsal in the basement like?

A．Confusing but practical.	B．Challenging but helpful.
C．Difficult but entertaining.	D．Regular but rewarding.

4. What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A．To express the burning passion for the group.

B．To show the difficulty in attending an audition.

C．To share a personal experience in pursuit of a dream.

D．To convey the excitement of engaging in a rehearsal

【推荐2】Since the beginning of time never has there been another with my mind, my heart, my eyes, my ears, my hands, my mouth． None that came before, none that live today, and none that come tomorrow can walk and talk and move and think exactly like me． I’m a unique creature．
Vain attempts to imitate others no longer will I make． Instead will I place my uniqueness on display in the market place． I will begin now to highlight my differences; hide my similarities．
I am rare, and therefore I am valuable． I am the end product of thousands of years of evolution; therefore, I am better equipped in both mind and body than all the emperors and wise men before me．
But my skills, my mind, my heart, and my body will weaken, rot, and die for fear that I put them to good use． I have unlimited potential． Only a tiny part of my brain do I employ; only a small amount of my muscle do I apply．
So never again will I be satisfied with yesterday's accomplishments nor will I lose myself, anymore, in self-praise for deeds which in reality are too small to even acknowledge． I can accomplish far more than I have, and I will． I am not on this earth by chance． I am here for a purpose and that purpose is to grow into a mountain, not to shrink to a grain of sand． Henceforth(从今往后) will I apply all my efforts to become the highest mountain of all and I will strain my potential until it cries for mercy．
I will increase my knowledge of mankind, myself, and the goods I sell． I will practice, and improve, and polish the words I speak to multiply my sales, for this is the foundation on which I will build my career． Also will I seek constantly to improve my manners and graces, for they are the sugar to which all are attracteD．
I have been given eyes to see and a mind to think and now I know a great secret of life that all my problems, discouragements, and heartaches are, in truth, great opportunities in disguise． I am nature’s greatest miracle． And nature knows not defeat． Eventually, she achieves victory and so will I, and with each victory the next struggle becomes less difficult．
1. It can be inferred from the text that the author is most probably a(n) _________．

A．robot

B．soldier

C．salesman

D．athlete

2. Which of the following can best describe the author’s character?

A．Intelligent, calm and content．

B．Confident, modest and realistic．

C．Independent, cold and aggressive．

D．Ambitious, confident and optimistic．

3. According to the text, which of the following is fundamental to the author’s career building?

A．Knowledge of mankind．

B．Speaking skills．

C．Prediction of the market．

D．sense of victory．

4. What is the best title for the passage?

A．Nature’s greatest miracle

B．The power of being different

C．The great secret of life

D．Great opportunities in disguise

【推荐3】When I first heard about geocaching（地理寻宝），I was skeptical. But the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like an interesting idea.I at least wanted to try it once.
Having familiarized myself with how the game works,I set out in search of my first cache. My trip took me through a series of lively hutong（胡同）,past a number of small temples, and right into the courtyard of a quiet youth hotel.I spent several minutes looking around, but couldn't find anything. Just before l was about to give up,I spotted a colorful object in the crack of a wall. Could it be the hidden cache?
At that moment a group of backpackers amved. According to the game's rules, people who are not in the game must not be allowed to find out about secret caches. So I pretended to make a phone call while waiting for them to leave. When the coast was clear,I grabbed the object. It was the cache!   I opened it and pulled out a crumpled（皱的）sheet of paper with several names and celebratory messages written on it.I added my own and replaced the cache in its hiding place, ready for the next geocacher to find.
It may seem like a simple game, but the idea that there are caches hidden all around us is exciting. Once you're hooked, it's easy to set yourself the goal of finding every single cache in a neighborhood or even an entire city. The real treasure, however, is not the cache itself, but the places it takes you to.
Hunting for further caches has since introduced me to places which I didn't even know existed. Some are peaceful parks, while others are forgotten historical sites.A few caches have even been in places I passed regularly without giving them any thought. Now,Ifeel a much closer connection.
1. What was the author's initial attitude to geocaching?

A．He thought it interesting.

B．He wanted to try it at once.

C．He showed little interest in it.

D．He found it unsuitable for him.

2. Where did the author find the cache?

A．In a hutong.	B．In a temple.
C．In a well.	D．In a hotel.

3. When a group of backpackers were approaching, the author____.

A．pretended to be cleaning the yard

B．made a call to other geocachers

C．didn't allow them to come in

D．tried to keep the cache secret

4. In what way does the author benefit from geocaching?

A．He's more familiar with the city.

B．He has found much treasure.

C．He has made more friends.

D．He has mastered hunting.

【推荐2】The exact location in France where Dutch master Vincent van Gogh painted his last work of art has been discovered.

A Dutch researcher figured out that a scene described in the artist’s last work, Tee Root, was visible on a postcard showing a man standing next to a bicycle on a back street of the village Auvers-sur-Oise. Van Gogh spent the last weeks of his life in the village. Helpfully, the card even included the name of the street.

Researchers were given a unique glimpse into the famous painter’s final hours. He was at work right up to the end.

Wouter van der Veen, scientific director of the Van Gogh Institute in France, made the discovery. While stuck at home, van de Veen used the extra time to organize the numerous files and documents on van Gogh, including images such as the old postcard from Auvers-sur-Oise. One day in late April, he saw the card on his computer screen and it suddenly struck him that he was looking at the location of Tree Roots. Next to the man and his bicycle, roots and trees are clearly visible. He took a virtual trip down the site using Google’s Street View.

“Villagers know the spot and the main tree root well, even giving it the name ‘the elephant’ because of its shapes,” van der Veen said. “It was really hiding in overt sight.”

The discovery provides tourists with an extra reason to visit Auvers-sur-Oise. “They travel a lot just for one reason — to walk in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh. Now they can stand at the very place where he painted his last painting,” van der Veen said. “And that’s a very moving thing for a lot of people. So I’m very happy to be able to share that with all those who love van Gogh.”

1. What is Paragraph 2 mainly about?

A．What the postcard revealed.	B．How Tree Roots was discovered.
C．Why Auvers-sur-Oise became known.	D．Where van Gogh painted his works.

2. How did van der Veen confirm his discovery?

A．He studied a picture of Auvers-sur-Oise.	B．He organized his data on van Gogh.
C．He traveled to France to see for himself.	D．He paid a visit to the spot online.

3. What can we infer about tourists to Auvers-sur-Oise?

A．They enjoy exploring how to paint.	B．They share their love for painting.
C．They admire van Gogh very much.	D．They want to experience the life there.

4. In which column of a newspaper may we read this passage?

A．Sports.

B．Art.

C．Geography.

D．Science.

【推荐3】In his 402nd anniversary year, Shakespeare is still rightly celebrated as a great language master and writer. But he was not the only great master of play writing to die in 1616, and he is certainly not the only writer to have left a lasting influence on theater.

While less known worldwide, Tang Xianzu is considered one of Chinas greatest playwrights and is highly spoken of in that country of ancient literary and dramatic traditions.

Tang was born in 1550 in Linchuan, Jiangxi province. Unlike Shakespeare's large body of plays, poems and sonnets (十四行诗), Tang wrote only four major plays: The Purple Hairpin, Peony Pavilion (《牡丹亭》), A Dream under the Southern bough, and Dream of Handan. The latter three were constructed around a dream narrative, a way through which Tang unlocked the emotional dimension of human desires and ambitions and explored human nature beyond the social and political limits of that time.

Similar to Shakespeare, Tang's success rode the wave of a renaissance (复兴) in theater as an artistic practice. As in Shakespeare's England, Tang's works became hugely popular in China too. During Tang's China, his plays were enjoyed performed, and changed. Kunqu Opera, a form of musical drama, spread from southern China to the whole nation and became a symbol of Chinese culture. Combining northern tune and southern music, kunqu Opera was known for its poetic language, music, dance movements and gestures. Tang's works benefited greatly from the popularity of kunqu Opera, and his plays are considered classics of kunqu Opera.

While Tang and Shakespeare lived in a world away from each other, there are many things they share in common, such e humanity of their drama, their heroic figures, their love for poetic language, a lasting popularity and the anniversary during which we still celebrate them.

1. Why is Shakespeare mentioned in the first paragraph?

A．To describe Shakespeare's anniversary.

B．To introduce the existence of Tang Xianzu.

C．To explain the importance of Shakespeare.

D．To suggest the less popularity of Tang Xianzu.

2. What's possibly one of the main theme of Tang's works?

A．Social reality.	B．Female dreams.
C．Human emotions.	D．Political environment.

3. What does the author mainly tell us in Paragraph 4?

A．The influence of Kunqu Opera on Tang's works.

B．Tang's success in copying Shakespeare's styles.

C．The way Kunqu Opera became a symbol of Chinese culture.

D．Tang's popularity for his poetic language and music.