Can you imagine a five-year-old boy writing and playing music on a child-sized violin? This was true of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart，a gifted boy who grew up to be one of the most creative composers (作曲家) of all time. Then you might think that the life of this child was easy all the time. Read on. Decide for yourself.
Mozart was born in January of 1756 into a musical family. His father, Leopold Mozart, knew the talent of his child and carefully taught him. Later, Mozart toured Europe, putting on concerts for the people of high social positions. He could listen to any piece of music once and then play it from memory. He could play the piano or the violin with his eyes covered. What’s more, music that Mozart wrote at the age of five was as good as works by many adult composers.
Mozart earned a living by selling his compositions, giving concerts and providing music lessons for the wealthy. Some of the operas Mozart wrote, such as The Marriage of Figaro, The Magic Flute and Don Giovanni, are still performed today. He composed 41 symphonies (交响乐). However, none of them earned him much money, and he spent far more than he was able to earn. Mozart often waited until the last moment to work on pieces that had been asked for.
By the spring of 1791, Mozart was ill and sad. He was deeply in debt (债务). His health, which had never been good, was becoming even worse. A stranger asked Mozart to write a musical piece for a funeral (葬礼). Mozart agreed, but then began to fear that it was being written for his own death. His fears turned out to be true. Mozart died in December of 1791, at the age of 35.
1. What is the purpose of the writer by saying “Read on. Decide for yourself ”in paragraph1?| A．To increase your reading interest. |
| B．To tell you it is your business to read it or not |
| C．To introduce that the child always led an easy life |
| D．To introduce the reason why you should read |
| A．He could play any music wonderfully |
| B．He could write good works at an early age. |
| C．He held concerts for the people of high social positions |
| D．He could listen to any piece of music once and then play it from memory |
| A．Mozart could support himself by working so hard |
| B．Mozart led a poor life although he wrote many pieces |
| C．Mozart’s compositions sold well and he made a lot of money |
| D．Mozart led a happy life because of much money |
| A．Mozart’s lifetime | B．Mozart’s talent | C．Mozart’s works B. Mozart’s father |
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【推荐1】After twenty-third hour at night, the house was quiet. I didn’t go to bed. Under the strong light, I looked sadly before me at a huge pile of that troublesome thing they call “books”.
I would have my important examination the next day. “When can I go to bed?” I asked myself. I didn’t answer, in fact I dared not.
As soon as the clock struck twelve, I suddenly heard and couldn’t help crying “Oh, dear! Many more books to read before I can go to bed!” We students are the most wretched creatures in the world. Dad does not agree with me on this. He didn’t have to work so hard when he was a boy.
When the clock struck one, I felt I was hopeless now. I forgot all I had learned. I was too tired to go on. I did the only thing I could. I prayed, “Oh, God, please help me pass the exam tomorrow. I do promise to work hard afterwards, Amen.” My eyes were so heavy that I could hardly open them a few minutes later, with my head on the desk, I fell asleep.
1. When the author was going over his lessons, all the others in the house were__.| A．asleep | B．outside |
| C．working in bed | D．quietly laughing at him |
| A．energetic | B．disappointed |
| C．unhappy | D．hopeful |
| A．The night before the examination | B．Staying up all night |
| C．A lazy student | D．Going over my lessons |
【推荐2】Madison Williams was studying in her bedroom when her mother, Leigh Williams, came in and shouted, “A little boy fell into a septic tank (化粪池)!” Then she asked her 13-year-old daughter if she could help.
Madison and Leigh ran to a neighbor’s yard, where they found the boy’s mad mother and other adults around the septic tank. Madison quickly examined the situation. She was the only one who could fit through the small hole. Without waiting a second, she got on her stomach next to the opening, placed her arms out in front of her, and told the adults, “Lower me in.”
Leigh and others held her waist and legs. Inside, the tank was dark, and the air was terrible. In the process, she stuck her left wrist (手腕) against a pole, hurting the muscles in her wrist and arm so seriously that the hand was useless. Rather than deal with her pain, Madison looked for the boy in the water with her eyes and right hand. Minutes went by before she saw his foot. Madison shot her right hand out and held the foot tightly. “Pull me up!” she shouted to the others above.
As they were pulled up, the boy’s free foot got stuck inside the hole. “Lower me down!” she shouted. Then, ten minutes after Madison had entered the tank, they were lifted out. But the boy wasn’t breathing for the lack of fresh air. He was placed on his side, and an adult gave him several hard hits on the back. It was only when Madison heard him cry that she knew he was all right.
1. How did Madison know what had happened?| A．She saw it herself. | B．She heard a cry for help. |
| C．Her mother told her about it. | D．Her mother asked her to help. |
| A．The boy’s cry of surprise. | B．People’s call. |
| C．Her mother’s bravery. | D．Her own willingness. |
| A．He was saved finally. | B．He was drowned to death. |
| C．He wasn’t breathing. | D．He was sent to hospital. |
| A．A girl and her brave mother. | B．A drowning boy in the water. |
| C．A boy falling into a septic tank. | D．A girl voluntarily saving a little boy. |
【推荐3】A Teacher’s Lesson
When Mrs. Thompson stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.
But that was impossible, because there in the front row was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn’t play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X’s and then putting a big “F” at the top of his papers.
One day Mrs. Thompson was reviewing each child’s past records and she put Teddy’s off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.
Teddy’s first grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh...he is a joy to be around.”
His second grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a serious illness and life at home must be a struggle.”
His third grade teacher wrote, “His mother’s death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn’t show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren’t taken.”
Teddy’s fourth grade teacher wrote, “Teddy is withdrawn and doesn’t show much interest in school.”
By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy’s. His present was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.
Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone(人造钻石) necklace with some of the stones missing. But she stopped the children’s laughter when she said aloud how pretty the necklace was and put it on.
Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, “Mrs. Thompson, today you looked just like my Mom used to.” After the children left she cried. From that very day, Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one her “teacher’s pets.”
1. When Mrs. Thompson started teaching her 5th grade class, she thought Teddy was _______.| A．bright and smart | B．dirty and unpleasant |
| C．quiet and shy | D．sensitive and pitiful |
| A．Teddy had difficulty in learning. | B．Teddy was not interested in school. |
| C．Teddy changed for a reason. | D．Teddy was born in a poor family. |
| A．gracefully(优雅地，温和地) | B．carefully |
| C．especially | D．awkwardly |
| A．Warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child. |
| B．A life without love is like a sunless garden when the flowers are dead. |
| C．It is the art of the teacher to awaken joy in difficult situation. |
| D．The best teachers are those who don’t stop teaching when the bell rings. |
【推荐1】Shane Grammer’s artwork can be found in cities in Mexico, South Korea, Dubai and beyond.In the past years, it’s the murals (壁画) he painted on damaged walls throughout the town of Paradise, California that have gained attention and touched viewers.
In 2018, the Camp Fire, the deadliest wildfire in California’s history, swept through Paradise, flattening entire communities, killing scores of people, and displacing tens of thousands. Grammer,whose hometown was just 15 miles from Paradise, was living with his family and working in the Los Angeles area when he saw accounts of the destruction on his friends’ social media pages. A single mother he knew shared a photo of ash and rubble where her home once stood. A childhood friend’s post showed her burned-down house. After he saw a photo of a friend Shane Edwards’ home, which had been reduced to a brick wall with only a chimney standing, he was driven to paint it.
With Edward’s permission, Grammer then used spray paint to transform Edwards’ burnt chimney into a strikingly black-and-white portrait of a woman, a piece he called “Beauty Among the Ashes.” Once the image was posted on Instagram, the victims of the fire, especially, could not contain themselves. “You bring beauty and hope.” one posted. Over three months, the 47-year-old created a series of more than a dozen spray-painted murals on the remains of buildings and vehicles rendered useless by the flames. The images included a victim of the fire, a young girl who survived but lost her house, and a series of religious characters.
As a street artist, Grammer has committed his life to creating more art installations (装置艺术) all over the world that connect people through tragic life events. He has started a foundation called the Art Through Hope Foundation where he intends to bring peace through his art to those affected by tragedy. “I want to do something powerful and make art that emotionally influences people,” said Grammer in an interview with KRCR. “I think any artist would consider that as their ultimate goal. And to me, that is the biggest miracle I feel like.”
1. What has led to Grammer’s rise to fame?| A．The Art Through Hope Foundation. | B．The post of a burnt-down house. |
| C．His paintings on the ruins in Paradise. | D．His art installations all over the world. |
| A．To record the wildfire. | B．To bring hope to the victims. |
| C．To add beauty to the ashes. | D．To remember his friend's home. |
| A．Creating touching art. | B．Working miracles in art. |
| C．Bringing peace through art. | D．Doing something powerful. |
| A．From Ashes to Art: Street Artist’s Murals of Hope |
| B．From Paradise to Worldwide: Street Artist’s Journey |
| C．From Tragedy to Hope: the Story of Shane Grammer |
| D．From Mural to Miracle: Shane Grammer’s Art Mission |
【推荐2】Huang Gongwang was a famous Chinese artist in the Yuan Dynasty. He was good at music, poetry, writing and especially painting.
Huang was born in 1269 in Jiangsu Province. Sadly, when he was young, his parents died and he lived a poor life. But then, a nice man from Zhejiang Province adopted (收养) him and took care of him. The kind man was impressed by the boy’s talent. Later Huang began to learn painting under the guidance of Zhao Mengfu.
Between the ages of 50 and 62, Huang often travelled in nature. During the long-term travelling, he developed an interest in rivers and mountains. When living in Songjiang, Huang often watched and enjoyed the fantastic scenery there. Sometimes he sat in the mountains all day, even forgetting to eat and have a rest. While enjoying the beauty of nature, he got lots of good ideas about what to paint.
Huang drew lots of paintings during his later life. But most of them have gone missing over the centuries. Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains (《富春山居图》) is one of the few surviving works and it is considered to be among his greatest works. It describes the autumn scenery along Fuchun River in southern China with ink and wash. After years of efforts, Huang finished painting Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains. Unluckily, this painting was later burnt into two pieces. Now, the two pieces are carefully kept in two different museums.
During Huang’s life, he made great achievements in painting. Because of his great ability in art, Huang was considered one of the Four Great Masters of the Yuan Dynasty.
1. Why did the man adopt Huang Gongwang?| A．Because he was young. | B．Because he lost his parents. |
| C．Because he got different talents. | D．Because he was good at painting. |
| A．He tried to stay away from social life. | B．He liked travelling when he was young. |
| C．He often drew creative ideas from nature. | D．He had an unhealthy eating and sleeping habit. |
| A．It has been lost in history. | B．It’s a painting created by two painters. |
| C．It describes the beauty of four seasons. | D．It’s a valuable work that is kept in two places. |
| A．A Famous Artist | B．A Touching Story |
| C．An Old Valuable Painting | D．An Introduction to Art History |
Canadian singer and song writer, Alanis Morissette, is used to being in the public eye. Her most famous album(专辑)Jagged Little Pill, came out in 1995 when she was only twenty-one years old. It sold 15 million copies and made her world famous. Since then she has made several more albums and she has continued giving great performances on stage.
Last Thursday night, hundreds of fans went to the Corn Exchange in Cambridge, England to see Alanis Morissette performing in concert. It was Morissette's first performance in England since her song "Uninvited" won this year's Grammy Award for the best rock song. The 30-year-old singer has a strong fan base in England. There was not an empty seat anywhere in the concert hall at last Thursday's event, although it was an extremely cold night. “Sure it's cold outside, but I hope we'll warm it up in here for you”, Morissette said to the large crowd before she started to play.
During the 3-hour concert, Morissette used a lot of material from her award-winning album "Jagged Little Pill". She also played a few songs from her new album, such as "Everything But…”, which tells the story of someone looking for love in the wrong places. Morissette gave a creative and powerful performance in another song “Utopia”. Her singing was full of feelings; the first part of the song was filled with anger, while the last part expressed love and joy.
Although the concert hall was cold and the sound system caused a few problems, the audience could still enjoy the concert. Many people in the crowd were obviously long-time fans and they knew the words and sang along to nearly every song throughout the concert. The atmosphere inside the concert hall was extremely exciting. Everyone agreed that they were greatly impressed by Morissette's brilliant music and sing.
At the end of the three hours, Morissette showed that she was a true performer, singing a well-known song “Heartache”. She finished the evening with a new song about the life of a superstar. While I watched and listened, I knew that I was seeing the performance of a real superstar.
1. Which of the following facts CAN’T prove that the performance was successful?| A．There wasn’t an empty seat in the concert hall at the event. |
| B．The fans sang along to nearly every song throughout the concert. |
| C．The song "Uninvited" won this year's Grammy Award for the best rock song. |
| D．Although it was cold in the concert hall, the atmosphere inside was exciting. |
| A．5. | B．4. | C．3. | D．2. |
| A．Her album Jagged Little Pill made her world famous. |
| B．Alanis Morissette came to perform in London for the first time. |
| C．Her well-known song “Heartache” is about the life of a superstar. |
| D．Morissette has got two awards in her life. |
| A．fast | B．excellent | C．popular | D．strong |
| A．Alanis—a True Performer | B．A Successful Concert |
| C．My Superstar | D．Alanis and her Fans |
