【推荐1】George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition(作曲)with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics(评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

1. Many of Gershwin’s musical works were ．

A．written about New Yorkers

B．composed for Paul Whiteman

C．played mainly in the countryside

D．performed in various ways

2. What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?

A．He created one of his best works．

B．He studied with Nadia Boulanger．

C．He argued with French critics．

D．He changed his music style．

3. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．Many of Gershwin’s works were lost．

B．The death of Gershwin was widely reported．

C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin．

D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death．

4. Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A．Talented and productive．

B．Serious and boring．

C．Popular and unhappy．

D．Friendly and honest．

【推荐2】Do you like Chinese traditional painting and dance? They are two important parts of the traditional Chinese art. But what about when they meet each other?

This year, a dance drama titled Poetic Dance: The Journey of a Legendary Landscape Painting (《只此青绿》) was staged on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala and became popular.

According to CCTV, this poetic dance program was inspired by the 900-year-old Chinese painting A Panorama of Rivers and Mountains (《千里江山图》), created by Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng at about 18. The painting is amazing in its sweeping size, rich coloration and the expressive details, reported by CCTV. It shows a Chinese blue-green landscape: mountains and groupings of infinite (无限的) rise and fall between cloudless sky and rippling (涟漪的) water.

When the dancers moved elegantly, audiences seemed to be looking at the moving mountains and rivers. “It brings me a pure experience of beauty. It is not only a drama but also an exhibition. Vast mountains and rivers are coming to life!” Internet user Mo Weisha wrote in a review. “More than a thousand years later, green mountains and rivers still impress people as they did long ago.” Some people even decided to watch the dance again when it was staged in the theaters later. In fact, in recent years, more and more modern shows have featured Chinese traditional culture and received warm welcome. As for the reason, it is due to people’s great love for traditional culture.

“The younger generations have grown up with a more open mind. They accept Chinese culture and are proud of it,” Yao Wei, director of Henan TV Station’s Innovation Center, told China Daily.

1. What’s the writing purpose of paragraph 1?

A．To raise a question.	B．To introduce the topic.
C．To describe the art world.	D．To show a doubtful thought.

2. What pushed the poetic dance?

A．CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala.	B．A Chinese blue-green landscape.
C．Song Dynasty painter Wang Ximeng.	D．An old Chinese traditional painting.

3. Why did this poetic dance enjoy welcome?

A．Traditional culture is accepted and loved by people.

B．Green mountains and rivers greatly impress people.

C．The poetic dance can be staged in the theaters later.

D．Increasing modern shows feature Chinese traditional culture.

4. What’s the main idea of the whole text?

A．It explains why Chinese art enjoys popularity.

B．It shows us art can come to life through dance.

C．It highlights the beauty of Chinese traditional art.

D．It tells us the love for Chinese traditional painting.

【推荐1】As a music teacher for twenty-seven years I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old ，had difficulty walking and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase “Oh yes！” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class Vanessa and I clapping together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year when the song was finished Vanessa turned around， looked at me in the eye， clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music we had made a connection.
Several years later I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl through her connection with music left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.
1. The author thinks music__________.

A．can make children calm down

B．can connect heart to heart

C．is difficult for pre-school students

D．is a good means to find a job

2. According to the second paragraph Vanessa_________.

A．got used to singing songs

B．was too shy to speak

C．was the youngest in the class

D．enjoyed the author’s class

3. When Vanessa spoke the words “Oh yes!” the author felt________.

A．surprised

B．happy

C．frightened

D．satisfied

4. What can we infer from the last two paragraphs?

A．The author has been in touch with Vanessa for several years.

B．Vanessa became as healthy as other children.

C．The song made a deep impression on Vanessa.

D．Being a good educator became Vanessa’s dream.

【推荐3】Many people, some even at a very young age, set the goal of graduating from college. One American woman in Texas waited a long time for her chance to reach that goal. The woman, 85-year-old Janet Fein, received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Dallas in December, 2018.

Fein has had a full life. She has raised five children and then had a career as a secretary until she retired at age 77. But even then, she was not ready to take it easy and rest during a well-earned retirement.

“I didn’t have anything to do in retirement and I didn’t think that playing bingo was up to my speed,” Fein told the Associated Press. She said she decided to major in sociology because she felt it was “substantial”.

Fein grew up in New York City. She said that in high school, she just wanted to finish and get a job. After graduating early, at the age of 16, she went to work as a secretary at a dress manufacturer.

After getting married, she spent 18 years staying home with her children. She held several jobs throughout her life, including 20 years as a secretary at a Dallas hospital. That is the job she retired from. She also worked for 20 years on earning an associate degree, which she received in 1995. But Fein told the AP she also wanted to earn a bachelor’s degree “with all of my heart”.

Fein took part in a state program that lets people who are 65 and older take free classes at public universities in Texas. Estimates show that nationwide, people 65 and older make up less than one percent of U. S. college students.

1. When did Janet Fein retire?

A．In 2008.

B．In 2010.

C．In 2015.

D．In 2020.

2. What can we know from the first three paragraphs?

A．Fein still works as a secretary currently.	B．Fein always lives a full and busy life.
C．The old woman is crazy about playing bingo.	D．Fein wanted to live an easy life after retirement.

3. Which of the following is the correct order?
a. She earned an associate degree.
b. She retired from a Dallas hospital.
c. She worked at a dress manufacturer.
d. She received her bachelor’s degree.

A．a→b→c→d

B．a→d→c→b

C．c→a→b→d

D．c→b→a→d

4. What’s the best title of the text?

A．Different Ways of Realizing Goals

B．The Retirement Life of the Old Is Colorful.

C．The Process of Receiving a Bachelor’s Degree.

D．Woman Reaches Lifelong Goal of College Degree