1 . Music is an art that almost everyone enjoys. Everyone can make sounds by singing，banging a stick, plucking(弹) a tight string or blowing through pipe. All over the world, many kinds of music have developed as people find out how to make sounds in different ways. There are so many kinds of music to hear that you can soon find a kind that you like.
People can get all kinds of feelings hearing music. Music can make you march of dance; it can make you feel happy or sad. More than other arts, music can affect your moods and feelings. This is why music is so popular.
Every country has its own kind of music. In France many people like dance music played on the accordion(手风琴), and many Americans enjoy banjo(班卓琴) music. Spain is famous for its guitar music, and India for the twanging sound of the sitar.
Many people like music in their own national style. But there are also people who enjoy classical music and pop music, which have spread throughout the world with the help of the record player and radio.
However, there are still great differences between the music of the west and that of the east. Many of the instruments are very different. The guitar and the sitar are both instruments in which strings are plucked by fingers, but they two not sound alike.
The musical differences between the east and the west are not only in the instruments, but also in ways the notes are put together.
1. Music is an art that is very popular in the world because ______．| A．everybody can make a beautiful music |
| B．people can get different feelings from music |
| C．music can only make people happy |
| D．music is much better than other arts |
| A．America | B．France |
| C．India | D．Spain |
| A．all countries and races have the same kind of music |
| B．the musical differences between the east and the west are only in the instruments |
| C．all the French people enjoy dance music played on the accordion |
| D．different people like different kinds of music |
| A．Music | B．Music—the Best Art |
| C．How to Enjoy Music | D．Different Music |
2 . Every people uses its own special word to show its ideas and feelings. Some of these expressions are commonly used for many years. Others are popular for just a short time. One such American expression is “Where’s the beef? ”It is used when something is not as good as it is said to be. In the early 1980s“Where’s the beef?” was one of the most popular expressions in the United States. It seemed as if everyone using it at the time.
Beef, of course, is the meat from a cow, and this kind of food is more popular in America than a hamburger made from beef. In the 1960s a businessman named Ray began building small restaurants that sold hamburgers at a low price. Ray called this “McDonald’s”. Ray became one of the richest businessmen at last in America.
Other business people watched his success. Some of them opened their own hamburger restaurants. One company called “Wendy’s” said its hamburgers were bigger than those sold by McDonald’s or anyone else. The Wendy’s Company began to use the expression “Where’s the beef ? ”to make people know that Wendy’s hamburgers were the biggest. The Wendy’s television advertisement showed three old women eating hamburgers. The bread that covered the meat was very big, but inside there was only a bit of meat. One of the women said she would not eat a hamburger with such a little piece of beef. “Where’s the beef? ”she shouted in a funny way. The advertisement for Wendy’s hamburger restaurants was success. As we said, it seemed everyone began using the expression “Where’s the beef? ”.
1. _______started Mc Donald’s restaurant.| A．Ray Kroc | B．McDonald | C．Wendy | D．Three old women |
| A．they could sell hamburgers at a low price | B．hamburgers were easy to make |
| C．beef was very popular in America | D．they could make a lot of money |
| A．with many old women eating hamburgers | B．by a television advertisement |
| C．while selling bread with a bit of meat in it | D．at the McDonald’s restaurant |
3 . The United States has about 475,000 school buses ---all painted yellow. Each day they carry more than 25,000,000 children, half of all schoolchildren in the country. But these buses, on average, use four liters of diesel （柴油） fuel to travel less than sixteen kilometers. When the school year began last fall, diesel averaged 55 cents a liter nationally. The price nearly doubled, to a dollar and 8 cents, by the end of school in June.
Bob Riley speaks for the American School Bus Council. He says fuel prices for schools are not much lower than others have to pay. As a result, schools are looking for ways to reduce transportation costs. Bus routes are being redrawn or, in some cases, canceled. Some areas are buying buses that use natural gas or other alternative fuels. Other steps include fewer field trips and less travel by sports teams. And some school districts may end any bus service not required by law.
Studies show that school buses are the safest form of transportation to and from school. The American School Bus Council says cuts in bus service are bad for children and possibly the environment. It says removing buses from the road will mean an increase in other vehicles transporting students. Spokesman Bob Riley says another concern is that reducing bus services might reduce attendance.
But it could also get more children to walk or bicycle to school. And that would surely make people happy at the National Center for Safe Routes to School. More kids walking or biking safely to school is the aim of a three-year-old federal program, part of an international movement. The goal is to increase physical activity and reduce air pollution. The United States will celebrate Walk to School Day on October eighth this year. But for some students, high fuel prices could make every day a walk-to-school day.
1. What does this passage mainly tell us?| A．High fuel prices’ influences on school buses. |
| B．New measures to transport school students. |
| C．The safest form of student transportation. |
| D．The origin of Walk to School Day. |
| A．Cuts in bus service will have negative results. |
| B．The US government is encouraging cuts in bus services. |
| C．The US schools are searching for the safest transportation means. |
| D．Reducing bus service will do a lot of good to the environment. |
| A．changing some bus routes |
| B．stopping some bus routes |
| C．asking parents to drive children to and from school |
| D．using other types of fuels |
| A．save more fuels and diesel for the country |
| B．keep the children safe on their way to school |
| C．make the children live a simple life |
| D．keep the children healthy and the environment clean |
4 . The boy sat on his chair, with his hands above the keyboard. He thought about what to write.
He recalled that the competition deadline was merely a week away. But he still had not even started on his piece. He looked at the brochure again.“WRITING COMPETITION！” the title read. His mom had encouraged him to enter the writing competition, and now he was taking it on as his personal task for the holidays.
As the boy reflected on his previous writing efforts, he realized how hopeless his task of winning was. Every story he ever wrote was based on other stories. He had little imagination, and unfortunately, imagination was the key to writing.
Suddenly, he had a brainwave. This time, he came up with an original and imaginative story.
The words shot towards him like a storm of leaves. Words were coming easily, flowing through him, faster than he could type. He typed faster than he ever had before. He continued to type, amazed how easy writing this story was. The boy could not stop writing. He looked at the word count and saw the number “248” staring right back at him. He was not even halfway yet.
Then he heard his mother’s call of saying time for bed. He continued writing the piece, ignoring her. He had to make up for the time he had lost in thinking about a topic to write.
Finally, he finished. The word count now read “498”.
“Perfect，” he thought, “just under the word limit.” He knew this was the story that would win.
He went to the website and searched for the competition. He found the page but there was no “Enter” button.
Confused, he then reread the page again. It read COMPETITION CLOSED.
1. What caused the boy to take part in the writing competition?| A．A new computer. |
| B．The prize money. |
| C．His own interest. |
| D．His mom’s encouragement. |
| A．His mom helped him. |
| B．He copied others’ ideas. |
| C．His friends assisted him. |
| D．He used his imagination. |
| A．Because he was terribly lazy. |
| B．Because he didn’t know what to write. |
| C．Because he wasn’t confident. |
| D．Because he read too many stories. |
| A．100. | B．250. |
| C．500. | D．1000. |
5 . Summer is the most popular season to visit Texas since there is so much to see and to do. While visiting the Lone Star State this summer, don’t miss visiting some of these attractions and taking part in some of Texas’ best summer vacation activities.
Visit SeaWorld
There are sea life shows，adventure camps，thrilling rides and a water park. A great many activities are waiting for you at SeaWorld.
Windsurf at South Padre
With miles of shallow (浅的)，calm water in the Lower Laguna Madre and strong winds conning off the Gulf of Mexico，South Padre Island is a windsurfer’s dream.
Swim at Barton Springs
Barton Springs is in the famous Zilker Park. It was formed when Barton Greek was built. Since its opening, Barton Springs has become one of the most popular swimming pools in the state.
Take part in an outdoor adventure
In the scenic Texas Hill Country, Lake Buchanan Adventures offers different kinds of activities, including boating, hiking, camping and more.
Camp and hike in Big Bend Park
Big Bend offers a great number of outdoor activities in an old way. Backpacking, mountain biking, fishing, boating, hiking, nature watching and camping - you name it. If it can be done outdoors, it can be done in Big Bend.
Enjoy saltwater fishing
Saltwater fishing in Texas is as good as anywhere else in the USA. More and more fishermen have been discovering this in recent years and packing their bags and rods (鱼竿)to make good use of Texas, world - class saltwater fishery.
1. The underlined phrase “the Lone Star State” in Paragraph 1 is another name for .| A．Texas | B．San Antonio | C．South Padre | D．Gulf of Mexico |
| A．sea life shows | B．adventure camps |
| C．climbing | D．exciting rides |
| A．San Antonio. | B．South Padre. |
| C．Barton Springs. | D．Texas Hill Country. |
6 . Exercise helps to keep us in good health. Doctors at the American Heart Association suggest getting at least 150 minutes of proper physical activity every week. Many people exercise for a few minutes every day or every other day. So, getting 150 minutes every week is easy.
But what about those times when you are sick? If you do not feel well, should you keep following your exercise habit? Health experts answer these and other questions.
Edward R. Laskowski is a doctor at the Mayo Clinic. He and other experts have a general rule of yes about exercising when you are sick. It is usually fine to exercise, he explains, if your symptoms （症状）are all “above the neck". These signs may include a runny nose, a blocked nose, sneezing or a minor sore throat.
Geralyn Coopersmith is a physical fitness trainer who has written several books on exercise and nutrition. Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest taking a break from exercising if signs of your illness appear "below the neck". Pay special attention to symptoms such as chest congestion, extreme cough or pain in the stomach.
There are other symptoms that can tell you to avoid exercise. They include: a higher than normal body temperature, a sense of feeling extremely tired, and widespread muscle pain.
Both Coopersmith and Dr. Laskowski suggest listening to your body. If you feel really bad, take a break and let your body rest. If you don't feel too bad, these experts both suggest reducing the amount of exercise. For example, if you usually run, take a quick walk instead.
1. How long should people do exercise to keep healthy?| A．About 150 minutes per day. | B．Around 100 minutes per day. |
| C．At least 150 minutes per week. | D．No more than 100 minutes per week. |
| A．When your left leg is broken. | B．When you have a runny noses. |
| C．When you have a blocked nose. | D．When you have a minor sore throat. |
| A．Be careful with your cars. | B．Learn to take advice of others. |
| C．Pay attention to body signals. | D．Listen to music to keep healthy. |
| A．Practice makes perfect. | B．Nothing seek, nothing find. |
| C．Put your heart into exercise. | D．Act according to your abilities. |
7 . The Winter Olympics is also called the White Olympics. At this time, many colorful stamps are published to mark the great Games. The first stamps marking the opening came out on January 25, 1932 in the United States for the 3rd White Olympics. From then on, publishing stamps during the White Olympics became a rule.
During the 4th Winter Olympic Games a group of stamps were published in Germany in November 1936. The five rings of Olympics were drawn on the front of the sportswear. It was the first time that the rings appeared on the stamps of the White Olympics.
In the 1950’s, the stamps of this kind became more colorful. When the White Olympics came, the host countries(东道国)as well as the non-host countries published stamps to mark those games.
China also published four stamps in February 1980, when the Chinese sports men began to take part in the White Olympics. Japan is the only Asian country that has ever held the White Olympics. Altogether 14,500 million stamps were sold to raise money for this sports meet. Different kinds of sports were drawn on these small stamps. People can enjoy the beauty of the wonderful movements of some sportsmen.
1. The White Olympics and the Winter Olympics ____________.| A．are the same thing | B．are different games |
| C．are not held in winter | D．are held in summer |
| A．after the year 1936 | B．after the 3rd White Olympics |
| C．before the 3rd White Olympics | D．before the year 1932 |
| A．every two years | B．every three years |
| C．every four years | D．every five years |
| A．Only the host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| B．Only the non-host countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| C．All the countries can publish stamps to mark those Games. |
| D．Japan can’t publish stamps to mark those Games. |
8 . Downloading music over the Internet is pretty common among high school and college students. However, when students download and share copyrighted music without permission, they are against the law.
A survey of young people’s music ownership has found that teenagers and college students have an average of more than 800 illegally copied songs each on their digital music players．Half of those surveyed share all the music on their hard drive (硬盘), enabling others to copy hundreds of songs at any one time. Some students were found to have randomly linked their personal blogs to music sites, so as to allow free trial listening of copyrighted songs for blog visitors, or adopted some of the songs as the background music for their blogs. Such practices may be easy and free, but there are consequences.
Sandra Dowd, a student of Central Michigan University, was fined US $7,500 for downloading 501 files from Lime Wire, a peer-to-peer file sharing program. Sandra claimed that she was unaware that her downloads were illegal until she was contacted by authorities. Similarly, Mike Lewinski paid US $4,000 to settle a lawsuit（起诉）against him for copyright violation (违反). Mike expressed shock and couldn’t believe that this was happening to him. “I just wanted to save some money and I always thought the threat was just a scare tactic(战术).” “You know, everyone does it,” added Mike.
The RIAA （Recording Industry Association of America）, the organization that files lawsuits against illegal downloaders, states that suing (控告) students was by no means their first choice. Unfortunately, without the threat of consequences, students are just not changing their behavior. Education alone is not enough to stop the extraordinary growth of the illegal downloading practice.
1. Why is it common for students to download copyrighted music?| A．They want their friends to know that they are smart. |
| B．They don’t think that they will be caught. |
| C．They think it is a good way to make some extra money. |
| D．They are against copyright protection over Internet music. |
| A．One should not be afraid of threats. |
| B．A lawsuit will result from the threat. |
| C．No serious consequence will follow the threat. |
| D．It is unfair to scare people with a threat. |
| A．Copyright Violators, Beware! |
| B．How to Get Free Music Online! |
| C．A Survey of Students’ Downloading Habits |
| D．Get rid of Illegal Music Download? Impossible! |
