1 . The Glover kids in Newburgh, New York, want to make a little extra money themselves before the school opens. So, earlier this week, they set up a lemonade stand on the side of the road.
Now, in most stories, that’s when the police
Whitney posted the picture on social media with explanatory words. The
Dozens of customers have
A.Progress | B.Business | C.Budget | D.Service |
A.demanded | B.proposed | C.warned | D.informed |
A.angry | B.generous | C.anxious | D.responsible |
A.take over | B.leave out | C.shut down | D.tear apart |
A.course | B.licence | C.fund | D.record |
A.surprised | B.tired | C.upset | D.confused |
A.context | B.case | C.reason | D.issue |
A.other than | B.instead of | C.as for | D.due to |
A.investigated | B.prevented | C.praised | D.punished |
A.contributions | B.differences | C.objections | D.adjustments |
A.posing | B.exchanging | C.preparing | D.searching |
A.refreshing | B.effective | C.amusing | D.creative |
A.apology | B.development | C.support | D.debate |
A.stood out | B.stood by | C.stopped out | D.stopped by |
A.change | B.donation | C.supply | D.application |
2 . Some of the world’s most famous musicians recently gathered in Paris and New Orleans to celebrate the first annual International Jazz Day. UNESCO( United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) recently set April 30 as a day to raise awareness of jazz music, its significance, and its potential as a unifying(联合) voice across cultures.
Despite the celebrations, though, in the U.S. the jazz audience continues to shrink and grow older, and the music has failed to connect with younger generations.
It’s Jason Moran’s job to help change that. As the Kennedy Center’s artistic adviser for jazz, Moran hopes to widen the audience for jazz, make the music more accessible, and preserve its history and culture.
“Jazz seems like it’s not really a part of the American appetite,” Moran tells National Public Radio’s reporter Neal Conan. “What I’m hoping to accomplish is that my generation and younger start to reconsider and understand that jazz is not black and write anymore. It’s actually color, and it’s actually digital.”
Moran says one of the problems with jazz today is that the entertainment aspect of the music has been lost. “The music can’t be presented today the way it was in 1908 or 1958. It has to continue to move, because the way the world works is not the same,” says Moran.
Last year, Moran worked on a project that arranged Fats Waller’s music for a dance party, “Just to kind of put it back in the mind that Waller is dance music as much as it is concert music,” says Moran. “For me, it’s the recontextualization. In music, where does the emotion(情感) lie? Are we, as humans, gaining any insight(感悟) on how to talk about ourselves and how something as abstract as a Charlie Parker record gets us into a dialogue about our emotions and our thoughts? Sometimes we lose sight that the music has a wider context,” says Moran, “so I want to continue those dialogues. Those are the things I want to foster.”
1. Why did UNESCO set April 30 as International Jazz Day?A.To remember the birth of jazz. |
B.To protect cultural diversity. |
C.To encourage people to study music. |
D.To recognize the value of jazz. |
A.Jazz becoming more accessible. |
B.The production of jazz growing faster. |
C.Jazz being less popular with the young. |
D.The jazz audience becoming larger. |
A.It will disappear gradually. |
B.It remains black and white. |
C.It should keep up with the times. |
D.It changes every 50 years. |
A.Exploring the Future of Jazz. |
B.The Rise and Fall of Jazz. |
C.The Story of a Jazz Musician. |
D.Celebrating the Jazz Day. |
3 . One of the most stressful days of Susan McFrederick’s life was watching her son get wheeled away for surgery hours after he was born in 2011.
But after the operation, Susan burst into tears for a different reason: across the cut on their newborn sons back was a sweet winter scene, hand-drawn on his bandages(绷带).
“There were rolling hills of snow, a pine tree and a snowman with a hat and broom, she recalled. It was extremely touching and comforting to know that somebody had taken the time to do that for my family. It was a moment I'll never forget.”
Susan soon learned the artist was her sons surgeon, Robert Parry, who discovered another way to use his hands in the mid-1980 s during his internship(实习期)at children's medical center. where he saw one of his colleagues cut out heart and shark shapes to decorate children’s bandages.
“My first reaction was, 'What is he doing? Hey, that’s kind of neat,’ ” Parry recalled. “I especially liked the reactions of the parents and the patients when they saw his artwork. The smiles took everyone's attention from the surgery. Then I decided to follow suit.”
Parry quickly graduated from his early hearts and sharks, and started to surprise families with drawings that captured young patients' personalities. From Snoopy to Spider-Man and bears to butterflies, there isn’t much he hasn’t drawn. Most kids want superheroes sports team logos or princesses, while babies often receive scenes with flowers trees and sea creatures During the last 30 years, Parry estimates he has left examples of his handiwork over the stitches(伤口缝线) of more than 10, 000 children.
“During a time of stress for families, it's nice to be able to help them smile and laugh," Parry said. This is something positive that I can do for them, which is what I like most about it.”
For Parry, the reward is knowing he hopefully made a difference in a child’s life, and except for his drawings on bandages, they can go on and live their lives and never know I was in it.” he said.
He's not ready to retire, but he's found a new hobby to keep his hands skillful in the years to come.
“I've taken up knitting(编织),” Parry said. “Hats, sweaters, gloves---I enjoy it all. But mostly, I enjoy giving everything away.”
1. Susan burst into tears after her baby's operation because she was__________.A.moved | B.amused |
C.stressed | D.heartbroken |
A.He was motivated by his patients. |
B.He was inspired by his colleague. |
C.He was required to learn the skill during his internship. |
D.He was encouraged by Susan to show his genius for art. |
A.devoted himself more to art than to medicine. |
B.knew more about his patients than their parents. |
C.took into consideration the tastes of individual patients. |
D.created a large number of works beyond his expectations. |
A.To get a reward from the artistic circle. |
B.To win the admiration of his colleagues. |
C.To make a difference in his dull medical career. |
D.To lift the spirits of his patients and their parents. |
A.He is eager to show others his new skills. |
B.He enjoys trying new ways to help others. |
C.He is looking forward to life after retirement. |
D.He is more interested in knitting than drawing. |
4 . I first met Paul Newman in 1968, when George Roy Hill, the director of Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, introduced us in New York City. When the studio didn’t want me for the film - it wanted somebody as well known as Paul — he stood up for me. I don’t know how many people would have done that; they would have listened to their agents or the studio powers.
The friendship that grew out of the experience of making that film and The Sting four years later had its root in the fact that although there was an age difference, we both came from a tradition of theater and live TV. We were respectful of craft(技艺) and focused on digging into the characters we were going to play. Both of us had the qualities and virtues that are typical of American actors: humorous, aggressive, and making fun of each other — but always with an underlying affection. Those were also at the core(核心) of our relationship off the screen.
We shared the belief that if you’re fortunate enough to have success, you should put something back — he with his Newman’s Own food and his Hole in the Wall camps for kids who are seriously ill, and me with Sundance and the institute and the festival. Paul and I didn’t see each other all that regularly, but sharing that brought us together. We supported each other financially and by showing up at events.
I last saw him a few months ago. He’d been in and out of the hospital. He and I both knew what the deal was, and we didn’t talk about it. Ours was a relationship that didn’t need a lot of words.
1. Why was the studio unwilling to give the role to author at first?A.Paul Newman wanted it. |
B.The studio powers didn’t like his agent. |
C.He wasn’t famous enough. |
D.The director recommended someone else. |
A.They were of the same age. |
B.They worked in the same theater. |
C.They were both good actors. |
D.They han similar charactertics. |
A.Their belief. |
B.Their care for children. |
C.Their success. |
D.Their support for each other. |
A.To show his love of films. |
B.To remember a friend. |
C.To introduce a new movie. |
D.To share his acting experience. |
5 . There is an old Chinese proverb that states “One generation plants the trees; another gets the shade,” and this is how it should be with mothers and daughters. The relationship between a mother and a daughter is sometimes confusing. The relationship can be similar to friendship. However, the mother and daughter relationship has unique characteristics that distinguish it from a friendship. These characteristics include a hierarchy (等级) of responsibilities and unconditional love, which preclude mothers and daughters from being best friends.
Marina, 27 years old, said, “I love spending time with my mom, but I wouldn’t consider her my best friend. Best friends don’t pay for your wedding. Best friends don’t remind you how they carried you in their body and gave you life! Best friend: don’t tell you how wise they are because they have been alive at least 20 years longer than you.” This doesn’t mean that the mother and daughter relationship can’t be very close and satisfying.
While some adult relationships are still troubled, many find them to be extremely rewarding. This generation of mothers and adult daughters has a lot in common, which increases the likelihood of shared companionship. Mothers and daughters have always shared the common experience of being homemakers, responsible for maintaining and passing on family values and traditions. Today contemporary mothers and daughters also share the experience of the workforce and technology, which may bring them even closer together.
Best friends may or may not continue to be best friends, but for better or worse, the mother and daughter relationship is permanent, even if for some unfortunate reason they aren’t speaking. The mother and child relationship is closer than any other. There is not an equal relationship. Daughters should not feel responsible for their mother’s emotional well-being. It isn’t that they don’t care deeply about their mothers. It’s just that they shouldn’t be burdened with their mother’s well-being.
The mother and daughter relationship is a relationship that is not replaceable by any other. Mothers never stop being mothers, which includes frequently wanting to protect their daughters and often feeling responsible for their happiness. Mothers always “trump (胜过)” friends.
1. What does the underlined word “preclude” in paragraph 1 probably mean?A.differ | B.prevent | C.benefit | D.change |
A.The mother and daughter relationship can be replaced by a best friend. |
B.A mother’s love brings her and her daughter a close friendship. |
C.The mother and daughter relationship goes beyond best friends’ friendship. |
D.Marina has a troubled relationship with her mother. |
A.By listing data. | B.By giving explanations. |
C.By quoting sayings. | D.By giving examples. |
A.How to Be a Good Mother and Daughter? | B.Who Is a Mother’s Best Friend? |
C.Mothers or Friends? | D.Can a Mother Be a Daughter’s Best Friend? |
6 . When a leafy plant is under attack, it doesn’t sit quietly. Back in 1983, two scientists, Jack Schultz and Ian Baldwin, reported that young maple trees getting bitten by insects send out a particular smell that neighboring plants can get. These chemicals come from the injured parts of the plant and seem to be an alarm. What the plants pump through the air is a mixture of chemicals known as volatile organic compounds, VOCs for short.
Scientists have found that all kinds of plants give out VOCs when being attacked. It’s a plant’s way of crying out. But is anyone listening? Apparently. Because we can watch the neighbours react.
Some plants pump out smelly chemicals to keep insects away. But others do double duty. They pump out perfumes designed to attract different insects who are natural enemies to the attackers. Once they arrive, the tables are turned. The attacker who was lunching now becomes lunch.
In study after study, it appears that these chemical conversations help the neighbors .The damage is usually more serious on the first plant, but the neighbors, relatively speaking, stay safer because they heard the alarm and knew what to do.
Does this mean that plants talk to each other? Scientists don’t know. Maybe the first plant just made a cry of pain or was sending a message to its own branches, and so, in effect, was talking to itself. Perhaps the neighbors just happened to “overhear” the cry. So information was exchanged, but it wasn’t a true, intentional back and forth. Charles Darwin, over 150 years ago, imagined a world far busier, noisier and more intimate (亲密的) than the world we can see and hear. Our senses are weak. There’s a whole lot going on.
1. What does a plant do when it is under attack?A.It makes noises. | B.It gets help from other plants. |
C.It stands quietly | D.It sends out certain chemicals. |
A.The attackers get attacked. |
B.The insects gather under the table. |
C.The plants get ready to fight back. |
D.The perfumes attract natural enemies. |
A.predict natural disasters |
B.protect themselves against insects |
C.talk to one another intentionally |
D.help their neighbors when necessary |
A.The world is changing faster than ever. |
B.People have stronger senses than before |
C.The world is more complex than it seems |
D.People in Darwin’s time were imaginative. |
7 . My new teacher is cool. Her name is Paula so we call her Miss Paula.
The first time we met her she said we are going to be good friends and that good friends are always nice to each other.
Miss Paula has been teaching us a lot of things. Some of us used to get in trouble for talking in the hallway (过道). Miss Paula says she can’t change the rule that we can’t make noise in the hallway but we can still talk to each other. She is teaching us sign language. I already know how to say “hello” and “how are you” with my hands. Now we love it when we have to walk somewhere and we are always quiet except for a laugh or two.
Miss Paula likes everybody even Sam and nobody likes Sam. He never does what he’s told but now he is doing better. Miss Paula says every single one of us is perfect and beautiful just the way we are. I guess that includes Sam.
This week at school was really the best ever. I didn’t even get in trouble when I thought I would because I spilled (洒) milk on my homework and had to hand it in when it was still wet. Miss Paula just smiled and asked “What’s this?” So I told her what happened. Miss Paula put it near the window to make it dry. She said the sun had been waiting for such an important job as this and would be happy to help us.
Well I have to go and get ready for bed now. I have school in the morning and I want to wake up early so I will have time to pick Miss Paula some flowers.
1. From the passage we know that Miss Paula ________.A.is strict with the writer | B.changed the school rules |
C.is very kind to her students | D.uses sign language in class |
A.Sam dislikes his new teacher. | B.Sam has made some progress. |
C.Sam is often praised by Miss Paula. | D.Sam is one of the writer’s best friends. |
A.Bored. | B.Excited. | C.Relaxed. | D.Worried. |
A.loves and respects her new teacher | B.is a bit afraid of her new teacher |
C.always picks her teacher some flowers | D.wrote this article in the morning |
8 . Researchers in Australia, who studied 1,500 people and their lifestyles, have found that having good friends can help you live longer. An American study of 10,000 students, over a period of 35 years, also found that if you make more friends than the average (普通的) person at school, you’ll receive a higher salary (工资) in later life. People need good social skills at work to manage people and work in a team successfully. These are the same skills we use to make friends at school.
On average, teenagers aged between 15 and 17 have 500 “friends” on their favourite social networking site. Adults (成年人) have 130. So if you believe this research, you might live for a long time and be very rich.
However, according to Professor Robin Dunbar from the University of Oxford, it probably won’t make any difference. Dunbar studied the number of messages between users of a popular social networking website, each of whom had between 200 and 2,000 friends. He found that they always communicate with a maximum (最大量) of 150 people.
Among these 150, Dunbar believes that around five people are close friends. You’ve most likely known them for a long time; they are probably old friends and you share all your good and bad experiences with them. Then there are ten more friends. Although they’re close to you, you may not keep in touch with them every week. Next there are 35 people who you might spend time with because of a shared interest. You aren’t close. And finally, there’s a large group of 100. You see or speak to these people at least once a year, but you don’t know them well. Beyond (超过) this number, Dunbar says, it’s impossible to make any relationship meaningful.
If you have a lot of online “friends”, try this experiment: First take away anyone you haven’t been in touch with for a year. Then remove people you can’t remember and, finally, take away friends who you wouldn’t mind losing touch with. How many do you have left? How many of these people are actually good friends? According to the research, these are the only people that really matter.
1. What are the studies mentioned in the first paragraph mainly about?A.The number of friends you should have. |
B.The advantages of having a lot of friends. |
C.Some social skills you may need at work. |
D.Some useful advice on how to make friends. |
A.are likely to spend more money |
B.may not be as popular at work |
C.seem to get betterpaid jobs |
D.will work harder in later years |
A.10. | B.35. |
C.100. | D.150. |
A.You need to spend more time with your friends. |
B.There is a lot of research on the influence of friends. |
C.Friends are sometimes more important than family. |
D.It’s more important to have good friends than lots of friends. |
9 . When I was 17, I read a magazine article about a museum called the McNay, once the home of a watercolorist named Marian McNay. She had requested the community to turn it into a museum upon her death. On a sunny Saturday, Sally and I drove over to the museum. She asked, "Do you have the address? ""No, but I'll recognize it, there was a picture in the magazine. "
"Oh, stop. There it is!”
The museum was free. We entered, excited. A group of people sitting in the hall stopped talking and stared at us.
"May I help you?" a man asked. "No, "I said. "We're fine.” Tour guides got on my nerves. What if they talked a long time about a painting you weren't that interested in? Sally had gone upstairs. The people in the hall seemed very nosy(爱窥探的), keeping their eyes on me with curiosity. What was their problem? I saw some nice sculptures in one room. Suddenly I sensed a man standing behind me. "Where do you think you are? " he asked. I turned sharply. "The McNay Art Museum!" He smiled, shaking his head. "Sorry, the McNay is on New Braunfels Street." "What’s this place?” I asked, still confused. "Well, it's our home." My heart jolted(震颤). I raced to the staircase and called out, "Sally! Come down immediately! "
"There's some really good stuff(艺术作品) up there." She stepped down, looking confused. I pushed her toward the front door, waving at the family, saying, "Sorry, please forgive us, you have a really nice place." Outside, when I told Sally what happened, she covered her mouth, laughing. She couldn't believe how long they let us look around without saying anything.
The real McNay was splendid, but we felt nervous the whole time we were there. Van Gogh, Picasso. This time, we stayed together, in case anything else unusual happened.
Thirty years later, a woman approached me in a public place. "Excuse me, did you ever enter a residence, long ago, thinking it was the McNay Museum?"
"Yes. But how do you know? We never told anyone."
"That was my home. I was a teenager sitting in the hall. Before you came over, I never realized what a beautiful place I lived in. I never felt lucky before. You thought it was a museum. My feelings about my home changed after that. I've always wanted to thank you."
1. What do we know about Marian McNay?A.She was a painter. |
B.She was a community leader. |
C.She was a museum director. |
D.She was a journalist. |
A.She disliked people who were nosy. |
B.She felt nervous when talking to strangers. |
C.She knew more about art than the man. |
D.She mistook him for a tour guide. |
A.Puzzled. | B.Concerned. |
C.Frightened. | D.Delighted. |
A.The real museum lacked enough artwork to interest her. |
B.She was too upset to spend much time at the real museum. |
C.The McNay was disappointing compared with the house. |
D.The event happening in the house was more significant. |
A.People should have good taste to enjoy life. |
B.People should spend more time with their family. |
C.People tend to be blind to the beauty around them. |
D.People tend to educate teenagers at a museum. |
10 . In1973,I was teaching elementary school. Each day,27kids
Freddy was an average
Before the school year
Through the years, I’d run into former students who would provide
Just last year, I was
I told the story to the class. As sad as it was, I couldn’t help smiling. Although Freddy was taken from us, we all
A.built | B.entered | C.decorated | D.ran |
A.name | B.rule | C.brand | D.plan |
A.small | B.dark | C.strange | D.dull |
A.scholar | B.student | C.citizen | D.worker |
A.speak | B.sing | C.question | D.laugh |
A.misfortune | B.disbelief | C.dishonesty | D.mistake |
A.changed | B.approached | C.returned | D.ended |
A.lesson | B.gift | C.report | D.message |
A.Friends | B.Awards | C.Masters | D.Tasks |
A.simple | B.unique | C.fun | D.clever |
A.assessments | B.comments | C.instructions | D.updates |
A.graduation | B.retirement | C.separation | D.resignation |
A.daring | B.modest | C.caring | D.smart |
A.wait | B.sleep | C.study | D.live |
A.paid | B.charged | C.lent | D.owed |
A.observing | B.preparing | C.designing | D.conducting |
A.regretted | B.avoided | C.excused | D.ignored |
A.opened | B.packed | C.gave | D.held |
A.picture | B.bill | C.note | D.diary |
A.chose | B.took | C.expected | D.borrowed |