American country music is also known as (被视为) country western music. It has a very long history. It comes from the folk songs of immigrants (移民) from Britain.
Country music uses simple music and words to express everyday feelings such as loneliness, love, and sadness. That is to say, country music describes life. It talks about friends and enemies, trucks and roads, farms and crops. People in many parts of the world like country music, because everyone can understand what the music is about.
Country western music became popular first among cowboys (牛仔) in the American west countryside. Cowboys had to take care of cows day and night. When they were alone with the cows, they often sang beautiful and peaceful songs to calm the animals and to overcome their own fear. They were not well-educated and so they sang about their daily life in very simple words. They played guitars, violins and other instruments. In the south of America, many people added instruments from their homes, like bottles and spoons. When cowboys visited their friends and families on holidays, they usually sang and played country western music.
In recent years, many musicians have made country western music a little different from the one in the past. These changes make the songs sound even better. Today singers such as Carth Brooks, Reba McEntirc, Emmylou Harris, Lyle Lovett, Eddie Rabbitt, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis and a group called Alahama are singing and playing in different styles. They have brought country western music more and more fans from all over the world.
相似题推荐
You may know the song Happy Birthday very well. But do you know about its writer? It was written by an American girl. And she became very rich after that.
When she was a child, she was poor. Once, she was invited to her friend’s birthday party. She was pleased but sad because she didn’t have enough money to buy a gift for her.
“The party is coming soon, but now I have little money.” Tears ran down her face.
Later that night she was in bed, thinking about the gift when the door opened and her grandma came in. “What happened?” her grandma asked. Hearing the girl’s story, she said, “Don’t worry. I think I can help you. How about singing a song together? Happy birthday to...” What a beautiful song! They sang and sang. Suddenly she woke up. It was a dream! She wrote it down at once and sang it to her friend at the party.
When she sang the song at the party the next day, her friends were very happy. “How wonderfully you sing! I haven’t heard such a beautiful song before. Thank you for giving me the special gift.” said her friend. And they learnt to sing it together. Later the girl became famous in America.
1. The song Happy Birthday was written by an American girl’s grandma.2. The girl was sad because she would be busy that day.
3. The girl gave her friend a flower.
4. The girl became famous because of the song.
5. The girl became very rich because of the song.
【推荐2】Popular music in America is what every student likes. Students carry small radios with earphones and listen to music before class, after class, and at lunch. Students with cars buy large speakers and play the music loudly as they drive on the street.
Adult (成年的) drivers listen to music on the car radio as they drive to work. They also listen to the news about sports, the weather, and the life of American people. Most of the radio programs are music.
Pop or popular music singers make much money. They make a CD or tape which radio stations use in many places. Once the popular singer is heard all over the country, young people buy his or her tape. Some of the money from these tapes comes to the singer. Wherever the singer goes, all the young people want to meet him or her. Now the singer has become a national star.
There are other kinds of music that are important to Americans. One is folk (民间) music. It tells stories about the common (普通) life of Americans. Another is western or country music. This was started by cowboys who would sing at night to the cows they were watching. Today, any music about country life and the love between a country boy and his girl is called western or country music.
1. _______ kinds of music are mentioned (提到) in this passage.| A．Two | B．Three | C．Four |
| A．Music. | B．Sports. | C．The weather. |
| A．make much money |
| B．make a CD or tape |
| C．are loved by all the young people |
| A．common life of Americans |
| B．country life and love stories |
| C．life of cowboys |
| A．Most students in America like popular music. |
| B．Students with cars in America like to listen to music while driving. |
| C．Adult drivers in America listen to music all the time while driving. |
【推荐3】Mr. Smith loved music very much when he was still a child. But he could never learn it because his family was very poor (贫穷的) at that time. Now he has a seven-year-old son, Tom. Mr. Smith hopes Tom can be a musician someday.
Tom is studying music in a school now.
Today, Mr. Smith goes to see Tom and ask him about his subjects. Tom says he does well in them. Mr. Smith is very happy to hear this, so he buys two tickets to a concert and takes Tom to the concert. The music is beautiful and Mr. Smith really likes it. But he finds his son is absent-minded—the boy doesn’t listen to the music at all because he always look outside.
Mr. Smith asks his son, “Do you know the music?”
“Yeah!” Tom says.
“What is the musician playing then?” Mr. Smith asks again.
Tom doesn’t know how to answer it. He thinks hard and then says, “...the piano.”
1. What can we know about Mr. Smith?| A．He loves music very much. | B．He is a great musician. |
| C．He is very poor now. | D．He is very good at music. |
| A．his son becomes a musician | B．Tom wants to go to the concert with him |
| C．Tom says he does well in the subjects | D．Tom thinks the music is so beautiful |
| A．It isn’t good at all. | B．Mr. Smith doesn’t know what the musician is playing. |
| C．It might be a piano concert. | D．Both Mr. Smith and his son like it. |
| A．专心致志的 | B．心不在焉的 | C．积极主动的 | D．丢三落四的 |
| A．is good at all his subjects | B．can play the piano very well |
| C．will be a great musician | D．doesn’t know the name of the music |
It’s said that Chinese people could plant vegetables in any possible place. They also have one thousand ways to cook them. After living in China for years. I can tell you that is true. Chinese people don’t just love cooking delicious vegetable dishes and they also love planting them,
Most of today’s vegetables were once wild plants.
In ancient times. the poet Tao Yuanming lived in the countryside.
| A．He did farm work and this surely included planting vegetables. |
| B．Chinese people have grown vegetables in their backyards for centuries. |
| C．And Chinese people started to eat and plant them quite early. |
| D．But Chinese people planted them and made them common vegetables in China. |
| E．With so much land, China’s natural environment is good for growing vegetables. |
【推荐2】“Family” weights a lot in Chinese. We can see theme of “family” in many traditional festivals, for instance, Lunar New Year, the Double Ninth Festival, as also the Mid-Autumn Festival. When is the best time for us to enjoy the bright and full moon? Of course, it is the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important festivals in China. We look at the moon, eat moon cakes, and get together with our families.
The moon, the key part of the festival, is special to most Chinese people. We enjoy and admire it. We use the round moon to describe reunion（团聚）, that is, get together. Our respect of the moon dates back to ancient times. There is the legend of Chang’e flying to the moon—the most famous story about the moon. Many Chinese poets connect the moon with homesickness. For example, “Beside my bed a pool of light. Is it hoarfrost on the ground?” from Jing Ye Si (Thoughts in the Silent Night) by Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai. Today, the moon is still important to Chinese people. The Miao minority（少数民族）in Guizhou province has a special custom. On the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival, young people dance under the moon to find their other half.
However, Western people see the moon differently. In some stories, the full moon is somewhat frightened to people. The most well-known story is the werewolf. A werewolf usually looks like a human, but changes into a wolf-like creature when there is a full moon. Also, if someone is very excited or even crazy about something, other may joke, “it must be a full moon.”
1. What festival is the passage mainly about?| A．The Dragon Boat Festival. |
| B．The Mid-Autumn Festival. |
| C．Lunar New Year. |
| D．The Double Ninth Festival. |
| A．Why the moon is special to Chinese people. |
| B．When the story of Chang’e started. |
| C．How ancient poets described the moon. |
| D．The Mid-Autumn Festival is important in China. |
| A．likes the moon very much |
| B．is very excited or even crazy about something |
| C．is well-known to others |
| D．is spending time with the whole family |
| A．How the Mid-Autumn Festival Is Celebrated in China |
| B．Different Holiday Customs in China |
| C．Some Chinese traditional festivals in China |
| D．Stories about the Full Moon in China and Western Countries |
1. To do this experiment,we need many things, except ________.
| A．adult helper | B．food coloring |
| C．refrigerator | D．two bowls |
| A．Every hour. | B．Every two hours. |
| C．Every 15 minutes. | D．Every 30 minutes. |
| A．Coloring spreads through the cold water faster than through the hot water. |
| B．Coloring spreads through the hot water as fast as through the cold water. |
| C．Coloring spreads through the cold water more slowly than through the hot water. |
| D．Coloring doesn’t spread through the cold water or through the hot water. |
【推荐1】London’s Chinese community (社区) dates back to the 18th century, when a small number of Chinese sailors moved to the city to work in Limhouse, east London. As time went on, other Chinese people came to this area and Limhouse began to be known as “Chinatown”. However, London’s Chinese community remained very small for many years: at the start of the 20th century, there were just 545 Chinese people in Britain.
After the Second World War, many farmers in Hong Kong lost their jobs and came to London. As Limhouse had been almost destroyed during the war, they settled (定居) in a different area, a part of central London near Leicester Square. This area is now what Londoners call Chinatown.
At first, the new immigrants (移民) found it difficult to get jobs. In the 1950s, however, a small Chinese restaurant opened in London. Many British people visited it and said that Chinese food was wonderful! Suddenly, Chinese restaurants and take-aways started opening in every part of the city. Instead of too little work, the new Chinese immigrants now found that they had too much! They worked as cooks, managers or waiters. Most of them enjoyed their lives and asked their friends and relatives to join them from overseas.
As time went by, London’s Chinese community became more and more successful. The sons and daughters of the original restaurant workers studied and worked very hard. And most went on to get highly paid jobs. Many Chinese families left Chinatown and moved to the more expensive outskirts. Chinatown, however, is still as lively as ever.
1. When did the first Chinese immigrants (移民) come to London?| A．In the 1950s. | B．More than 200 years ago. |
| C．After the Second World War. | D．At the start of the 20th century. |
| A．Because it was easy for them to get jobs there. |
| B．Because Limhouse had been almost destroyed during the war. |
| C．Because many British people enjoyed Chinese food. |
| D．Because their children could study there and get highly paid jobs. |
| A．建设 | B．破坏 | C．修理 | D．维护 |
| A．In the east of London. | B．In Limhouse. |
| C．Not far from Leicester Square. | D．Outside the city. |
Every place in the United Kingdom has a name which tells a story! The names of towns and villages tell us about the history of the country.
Thousands of years ago, people called the Celts lived all over Britain. Then the Romans came. Many towns in England have names that end in “-chester” because the Romans called their towns “castra”. The Romans never got to Wales or Scotland and many towns there have Celtic names. Place names in Wales often begin with “llan” Which means “church”.
After the Romans left England, people called Anglo-Saxons arrived. Their villages often got their names from the family who lived there. Some names ended in “-ham”so Tottenham means “the village of a man called Totta”. Many Anglo-Saxon villages also ended in “-ton” (this means village too), so Upton is “a village on a hill” and Moreton means “a village by a lake”.
The Vikings came to England too, from Scandinavia. Their villages ended in “-by”, for example Kirkby comes from the words “church” and “village”. And then finally, in 1066, England became Norman. The Normans spoke French and gave the place name “grange” (which means farm) to many places all over England.
1. Where did the the place “Birmingham” get its name from?| A．The Celts. | B．The Anglo-Saxons. | C．The Romans. | D．The Normans. |
| A．Four. | B．Five. | C．Six. | D．Seven. |
a. The Romans returned to Rome.
b. The Normans became kings of England.
c. The Anglo-Saxons came to England from Europe.
d. The Celts came to Britain.
e. The Romans arrived and built towns and cities.
f. The Vikings travelled to Britain from Norway and Denmark.
| A．decafb | B．dacefb | C．deacfb | D．dacefb |
| A．The history of the UK. | B．Different names of places in the UK. |
| C．The history of different people in the UK | D．Every place name tells a story. |
One, some family names are from the place of their homes. If a man lives（居住）on or near a hill（山）, his family name may be Hill. In England, people’s names may be Wood, Lake, because they live near the wood or lake.
Two, family names are from a person’s job（工作）. If a person is a cook, he may be Cook.
Three, many people get their family names from their father’s given name. If you hear the name “Jackson”, you know that he is the son of Jack.
判断正（T）误（F）
1. There are only（只有）three family names in English
2. Tom lives near wood, so his full name may（可能）be Tom Wood.
3. The children（孩子）have the same family names as their fathers（父亲）.
4. Mr. Jackson has a son, his son’s name is Michael Jack.
5. A boy’s name is Will Cook, his father may be a cook.
【推荐1】When you think of Scotland, what comes to your mind? Maybe the beautiful green scenery (风景) or the national dish of haggis (羊杂碎). But what makes a Scot stand out straight away is the national dress of Scotland: the kilt.
The kilt is a special dress. Most Scottish men wear it. The dress dates back to more than 500 years ago. In the 16th century, the Scottish highlands were wet. It was difficult for soldiers to move around without getting stuck (困住) in the mud. The kilt was made to give them an advantage over their enemy. Kilts are very flexible, giving soldiers more freedom to move in. What's more, you can use the kilt as a blanket for those cold nights.
In modern times, the kilt has come to stand for Scottish pride, culture and patriotism (爱国心). People wear kilts for special events, such as ceremonies and the traditional Scottish sporting event known as the Highland games.
But that's not all. The colors of a kilt show your family history. That's because each color stands for a different Scottish family. So a Scotsman is not only wearing the national dress of his country, but also the pride of his family. There's a famous saying in Scotland, "A man in a kilt is a man and a half."
1. The underlined word "flexible" in the passage means "________" in Chinese.| A．保暖的 | B．优雅的 | C．灵活的 |
| A．it gave the soldier many advantages over their enemy. |
| B．it has many colors and looks wonderful |
| C．it stands for Scottish pride, culture and patriotism |
| A．a kilt can make a man look stronger |
| B．a man in a kilt looks a real man |
| C．a man in a kilt looks taller than the others |
| A．The kilt was first made more than five hundred years ago. |
| B．Scotsmen wear the kilts for special events whether in the past or in modern times. |
| C．A Scotsman wears the kilts not only for his country but for his family. |
| A．The origin (起源) of the kilt |
| B．How to wear a kilt |
| C．Kilts in wartime |
Scientists believe that music influences the way people behave(行为). They think that the sound of western classical music makes people feel richer. When a restaurant plays classical music, people spend more money on food and drinks. When the restaurant plays modern music, people spend less money. Without music, people spend less.
Scientists also believe that loud, fast music makes people eat faster. Some restaurants play fast music during their busy hours. This makes people eat faster and leave quickly. Restaurants can make more money in this way.
Some scientists think that music makes you think and learn better. They say that music helps students to be more active. It is true that people learn better when they are relaxed. And listening to music can help you relax.[来
The next time you hear music somewhere, be careful. It might influence the way you do things.
根据短文内容，选择最佳答案。
1. According to the text, scientists believe that music can _______.
| A．Create different feelings for us |
| B．Help us to develop good habits |
| C．Develop our interest in money |
| D．Influence natural environments |
| A．slower | B．Something about manners |
| C．richer | D．Something with new styles |
| A．Light music. | B．Rock music. | C．Sweet music. | D．Soft music. |
| A．slow in action | B．care about manners |
| C．think and learn better | D．worry about studies |
| A．Music in restaurants | B．Good and Bad music |
| C．Types of music | D．Music and Behavior |
【推荐3】We see many things in our world every day. All of these things are living (生物) or nonliving (非生物). Let’s read about how they are different (不同).
Living things
A living thing can grow and change. A plant is a living thing, like dandelions or cactus. An animal is a living thing. You are a living thing! Living things breathe (呼吸) air and they need food and water. People and animals can move (移动) by themselves. They can get food and water from different places.
Plants can’t move by themselves. They make their food from sunlight, water, and air. They can grow tall to get sunlight. Water comes to them. What living things do you see every day?
Nonliving Things
A nonliving thing doesn’t need food, air, or water. It can’t breathe. A toy is a nonliving thing. A ball can move. Is a ball a living thing? No, it isn’t. A ball can only move if we move it. It can’t move by itself. It can’t breathe and it doesn’t grow. It’s a nonliving thing.
Look around you. What nonliving things do you see? All living and nonliving things in our world are important. It is good to take care of all of them.
1. The underlined word (划线的单词) “dandelions” might be the name of _________.| A．a plant | B．an animal | C．a boy | D．a sport |
| A．Plants can’ move by themselves so they aren’t living things. |
| B．Living things need air, food and water. |
| C．Plants don’t need food, water or air. |
| D．Animals can make food from sunlight, water and air. |
A． | B． | C． | D． |
| A．In a history book. |
| B．In a math book. |
| C．In a Chinese book. |
| D．In a science book. |
