In January, 2016, Harry Styles made a bold decision. He left the popular boy band One Direction and went solo(单飞). Now he is making his own voice heard. The 23-year-old British singer released his first solo single called Sign of the Times. His self-titled album(个人同名专辑) is coming out on May 12.
Going solo is a journey for him to find his identity(身份). Though at the time, he was uncertain about his future, he kept a word in his mind - “honesty”. “I didn’t want to write ‘stories’,” he told Rolling Stone. “I wanted to write my stories, things that happened to me. The number-one thing was I wanted to be honest. I hadn’t done that before.”
He is indeed full of stories since beginning his solo career. Last fall, he spent two months recording on a remote island in Jamaica(牙买加). Along with some musicians, he filled a two-floor house with instruments. They hung out at the bar that looked like a tree house. Many mornings began with a swim in the river down the hill. They watched many romantic comedies. Styles always held a black notebook and looked like a college student who was studying, Rolling Stone reported.
His coming album is about rock music. In fact, he grew up with it. His father Desmond was a rock music fan. When Styles was very young, he danced to The Dark Side of the Moon, a classic song by British rock band Pink Floyd. “I couldn’t really get it. But I just remember (thinking that) this is really cool.”
Harry said, “At the very beginning, all I wanted was to be the granddad with the best stories.” Surely, now he is on the right track(轨道).
1. Why did Styles go solo?| A．He wanted to travel with his friends. |
| B．He was certain that he would succeed. |
| C．He wanted to be independent from the hand. |
| D．He wanted to do the things that he hadn’t done before. |
| A．Styles, next album is about his father. |
| B．Styles wanted to be a man with “stories”. |
| C．He left the band because of its dishonesty. |
| D．Styles couldn’t find his identity after going solo. |
| A．making a record | B．hanging out at the bar |
| C．swimming in the river | D．studying like a college student |
| A．Styles’ “stories” about his solo career. | B．Styles’ favoriate sports. |
| C．The band One Direction. | D．Styles’ achievements in music. |
相似题推荐
【推荐1】Does your kid want to take a music class in the city? Here are some good ones for you to choose from.
Sing And Dance With Me
Time: Monday, 4:00 PM—4:45 PM from 09/17/19 to 11/26/19
Teacher: Alex “Tiappa” Klimovitsky
Birth to 5 years: Take a journey into Spanish language and its cultures through the magical world of music. With this class, you can sing, dance and play along to the amazing sounds and rhythms (韵律) with your child. It’s designed for Spanish beginners and native speakers alike.
Music In English
Time: Monday, 9:30 AM—10:15 AM from 09/17/19 to 11/26/19
Teacher: Jacques Stewart
Birth to 5 years: Music is taught only in English. Children at different levels take part in their own classes by singing, moving, changing, listening, and exploring musical instruments. Some games related to music are played at times. Children in one class are of the same age.
Music Class For Mixed Ages
Time: Saturday, 10:30 AM—11:15 AM from 09/22/19 to 12/08/19
Teacher: Liz Richter
Birth to 5 years: Children of different ages enjoy class together. Many childhood educators con-sider mixed-age groupings good and the processes of music development throughout different ages are similar.
Music Together ® With Some Mandarin (普通话)
Time: Tuesday, 4:30 PM—5:15 PM from 09/18/19 to 11/27/19
Teacher: Qing Yanyu
Birth to 5 years: This class is just like our basic mixed-age music class in English with some Mandarin mixed in. Some of the songs will have poems in Mandarin. It is an opportunity for families who would like to take their children to another language in a fun and relaxing environment!
1. The class Sing And Dance With Me is intended for________.| A．Adults wanting to learn Spanish songs |
| B．Children interested in difficult dancing |
| C．Natives beginners loving Spanish cultures |
| D．Teenagers wanting to improve their Spanish |
| A．Liz Richter’s. | B．Qing Yanyu’s. |
| C．Jacques Stewart’s. | D．Alex “Tiappa” Klimovitsky’s. |
| A．To give lips on music learning. |
| B．To advertise some music classes. |
| C．To encourage learning foreign languages. |
| D．To show lie importance of music learning. |
【推荐2】Laurie Horam never thought of himself as musical. At home, his dad never listened to music, while one of his boarding school teachers labelled him tone deaf. But last month he started to play the harmonica (口琴)on the streets of Bradford. People clapped, danced and threw coins into his case for the local food bank. Horam caught himself thinking. “How, at the age of 79, do I come to be playing music to people on the streets?”
The question preoccupied him, because, some years ago at a family gathering, Gavin, his eldest son, said: “You know what, Dad? It can’t be coincidental. We must have got our musical abilities from you.” Horam has three sons and they cover a range of instruments. He was surprised. “There can’t be music in me, because I can’t play! ”he said.
Eight years ago, Horam, a retired civil servant, was on his way back from a trip with his family. Gavin stopped at a music shop. He walked out and said: “Here you are. I bought this for you, Dad. It’s a harmonica. I’ll try to show you how to play a bit.”
They went to a session at their local pub. Gavin played the guitar and Horam sat in the corner with his harmonica, trying to make a sound that no one would hear. After six months, he was invited into the group. He discovered a talent for improvisation(即兴表演),responding to a note within a millisecond without batting an eyelid. “I don’t play by ear. I play by heart.” Actually, Horam says: “My harmonica plays me-how I feel, what I am, what I’ve been.”
Music has enriched life with friendship and made Horam feel “part of something much bigger” than himself. “At a time when the circle of life might be shrinking, mine is expanding,” he says. “Maybe we never know completely who we are or what we can do.”
1. Why did Horam play the harmonica on the streets of Bradford?| A．To recall the good old days. |
| B．To beg food from passers-by. |
| C．To live his childhood dream. |
| D．To collect money for charity. |
| A．Positive. |
| B．Disapproving. |
| C．Doubtful. |
| D．Unclear. |
| A．Enjoy the quiet. |
| B．Listen to his heart. |
| C．Express himself. |
| D．Sharpen his hearing. |
| A．A lost soul. |
| B．A comfortable life. |
| C．A broader circle of life. |
| D．A new perception of family. |
【推荐3】Fifty years ago, the well-loved musician Bob Dylan played at the Newport Folk Festival and was widely booed (嘘声). The audience may have been unhappy but Dylan’s performance helped change the direction of music and culture in the United States.
The mid-1960s were a time of great change. One such place of change was the world of folk music. Bob Dylan became a symbol of change when he moved from acoustic (原声的) to electric guitar.Rock music historian Elijah Wald has written a new book about the change. It is called “Dylan Goes Electric”.
“There was a moment in the early 1960s when you could look at the Billboard charts and seven of the top 10 albums were folk records. And Joan Baez, Peter Paul and Mary, the Kingston Trio, all had huge, huge, huge number-one records.”
And then this happened: The “British Invasion” introduced the world to the Beatles and grew a huge fan base for rock music. “That worried many folk musicians,” says Elijah Wald.
They hoped that Bob Dylan would come to the rescue. However, a new Dylan sound came from the stage.
Bob Dylan had gone electric, and the followers of folk music were not pleased.
“When Dylan went electric, I think one of the issues was the feeling that — wait a minute, he’s gone over to the enemy.”
Folk lovers had looked to Bob Dylan to save their movement from rock and roll. But, author Wald says Dylan felt differently about the music.
“Dylan had always liked rock and roll and Dylan didn’t think of rock and roll as stupid music.” In fact, Dylan was a Beatles fan. He later said that from the first time he heard the Beatles he knew “they were pointing to the direction where music had to go.”
Beyond the music, Dylan’s performance that night also marked a turn in American culture.
1. How did the audience feel when Dylan played at the Newport Folk Festival?
| A．Unsatisfied. | B．Respectful. |
| C．Uncaring. | D．Excited. |
| A．Great changes had taken place in folk music. |
| B．People had grown sincere love for rock music. |
| C．Folk music was once a huge mainstream pop trend. |
| D．Bob Dylan was the best American musician at that time. |
| A．Introduce the world to the Beatles. | B．Change folk music for better. |
| C．Play rock and roll against the Beatles. | D．Recover the glory of folk music. |
| A．Dylan’s beliefs in the new direction music should go. |
| B．Dylan’s deep love for the Beatles, rock and roll music. |
| C．Dylan’s music as a great contribution to American folk music. |
| D．Dylan’s performance as a mark of a change in American culture. |
【推荐1】Cassandra Feeley finds it hard to manage on her husband’s income. So this year she did something more than a hobby: She planted vegetables in her yard. For her first garden, Ms. Feeley has put in 15 tomato plants, and five rows of a variety of vegetables. The family’s old farm house has become a chicken house, its residents arriving next month. Last year, Ms. Rita Gartin kept a small garden. This year she has made it much larger because, she said, “The cost of everything is going up and I was looking to lose a few pounds, too; so it’s a win-win situation all around.”
They are among the growing number of Americans who, driven by higher living costs and a falling economy, have taken up vegetable gardening for the first time. Others have increased the size of their existing gardens. Seed companies and garden shops say that not since the 1970s has there been such an increase in interest in growing food at home. Now many gardens across the country have been sold out for several months. In Austin, some of the gardens have a three-year waiting list.
George C. Ball Jr., owner of a company, said sales of vegetable seeds and plants are up by 40% over last year, double the average growth of the last five years. Mr. Ball argues that some of the reasons have been building for the last few years. The big one is the striking rise in the cost of food like bread and milk, together with the increases in the price of fruits and vegetables. Food prices have increased because of higher oil price. People are now driving less, taking fewer vacations, so there more time to garden.
1. What does the word “residents” in Paragraph 1 probably refer to?| A．Chickens. | B．Tomatoes. | C．Gardens. | D．People. |
| A．she is happier and her garden bigger. |
| B．she may spend less and lose weight. |
| C．she is selling more and buying less |
| D．she has grown more varieties of vegetables |
| A．More Americans are doing it for fun. | B．The price of oil is lower than before. |
| C．There’s growing need for fruits. | D．The cost of living is on the rise. |
| A．Family Food Planning | B．Banking on Gardening |
| C．A Belt-tightening Move | D．Gardening as a Hobby |
【推荐2】My mom was always a good driver. She never got a speeding ticket. One day while driving, she was so attracted by singing along to the radio that she didn't notice how close she was getting to a mailbox. Then with a bang, she hit someone's mailbox.
After realizing what she had done, she quickly exited the car to see the damage. The whole side mirror was off, and the mailbox was destroyed. My mom didn't know whose mail-box it was, but knew she must tell the owner. She walked up to the door, with her heart beating fast. She debated over and over whether she should ring that doorbell or just go to work and pretend that this had never happened.
Just then, an old lady opened the door, glancing at the tears down from my mom's face and at the destroyed mailbox. she understood exactly what had happened. So when my mom was trying to explain, the lady interrupted her and asked her if she would like to come in. My mom, unable to put any words together, simply nodded her head.
The lady told her not to worry about the mailbox, because it was an accident. My mom had been babysitting all summer long. so she offered to repay the lady. The lady refused, saying my mother would need that money for replacing the car's mirror. The lady also said that < she had been looking for an excuse to get rid of that mailbox, which, my mom knew, was really a kind excuse.The lady then brought out the best chocolate chip cookies and tea that my mom has ever had. My mom was grateful for the old lady's kindness. She helped my mom save money, for my mom had to give lots of her savings in order to fix her car.
When my mom told me this story, I couldn't believe it. My perfect mom hit a mailbox. She always yells at my sister for driving recklessly (鲁莽的)，but my sister has never hit a mailbox. I love this story, because it makes me know that we should be careful when driving.
1. What caused the accident?| A．Awful road conditions. |
| B．Extremely terrible weather. |
| C．Bad driving skills of the author's mother. |
| D．The absent-mindedness of the author's mother, |
| A．She knew what had happened. |
| B．She couldn't understand the explanation. |
| C．She was impatient with the author's mother. |
| D．She was very angry with the author's mother. |
| A．She was very wealthy. |
| B．She was also to blame. |
| C．She used to be the mother's workmate. |
| D．She felt a little sympathy for the author's mother. |
| A．Warm -hearted | B．Rude. |
| C．Responsible. | D．Generous. |
As graduation day approached, excitement increased. Being out of high school meant I was finally coming of age. Soon I would be on my own, making my own decisions, doing what I wanted without someone looking over my shoulder and it meant going to school with boys—a welcome change coming from an all-girl high school. There was never any question in my mind that I would go to a college away from home. My mother’s idea, on the other hand, was just the opposite. Trying her best not to force her preferences on me, she would mildly ask whether I had considered particular schools—all of which happened to be located in or near my hometown of Chicago. Once it was established(建立) that, as long as the expenses would not be too heavy a burden on the family budget, I would be going away anyway, my family’s viewpoint changed. Their concern switched from whether I was going away to how far. The schools I was considering on the East Coast suddenly looked much more attractive than those in California. But which college I would attend was just one of what seemed like a never-ending list of unknowns: What would college be like? Would I be unbearably lonely not knowing anyone else who was going to the same school? Would the other students like me? Would I make friends easily? Would I miss my family so much that I wouldn’t be able to stand it? And what about the work—would I be able to keep up? (Being an A student in high school seemed to offer little hope I would be able to survive college.) What if the college I chose turned out to be a terrible mistake? Would I be able to switch to another school?
Then panic set in. My feelings took a 180-degree turn. I really didn’t want to leave high school at all, and it was questionable whether I wanted to grow up after all. It had been nice being respected as a senior by the underclass students for the past year; I didn’t enjoy the idea of being on the bottom rung of the ladder again.
Despite months of expectation, nothing could have prepared me for the impact of the actual day. As the familiar melody (旋律) of “Pomp and Circumstance” echoed in the background, I looked around at the other students in white caps and gowns as we seriously lined into the hall. Tears welled up uncontrollably in my eyes, and I was overcome by a rush of sadness. As if in a daze (恍惚), I rose from my seat when I heard my name called and slowly crossed the stage to receive my diploma(毕业文凭). As I reached out my hand, I knew that I was reaching not just for a piece of paper but for a brand-new life. Exciting as the future of a new life seemed, it wasn’t easy saying good-bye to the old one—the familiar faces, the familiar routine. I would even miss that chemistry class I wasn’t particularly fond of and the long travel each day between home and school that I hated. Good or bad, it was what I knew.
That September, I was fortunate to attend a wonderful university in Providence, Rhode Island. I needn’t have worried about liking it. My years there turned out to be some of the best years of my life. And as for friends, some of the friendships I formed there I still treasure today. Years later, financial difficulties forced my high school to close its doors forever. Although going back is impossible, it’s comforting to know I can revisit my special memories any time.
1. In this article the author mainly describes ________.
| A．the great excitement before the graduation ceremony |
| B．her mixed feelings before graduation and on the actual graduation day |
| C．her happiness to be admitted to a wonderful university |
| D．her eagerness to go to a wonderful university far away from home |
| A．did not care very much which college her daughter went to |
| B．was greatly disappointed at her decision to go to a college on the East Coast |
| C．willingly allowed her to go to a college of her own choice |
| D．wished that she would study at a college or university close to home |
| A．Growing homesick might seriously affect her physical health. |
| B．She might make a wrong choice and enter a university she did not like at all. |
| C．Her being a top student at high school did not mean she could be successful at college. |
| D．It might be hard for her to make friends in the new environment. |
| A．she sang a song “Pomp and Circumstance” |
| B．she went through the whole ceremony in a daze |
| C．she came to realize that she was the only one who had a passion for her old school |
| D．reaching out for diploma, she was aware of a new stage in life ahead of her |
| A．negative | B．serious |
| C．emotional | D．cold-blooded |
