There is a wonderful story about Jimmy Durante, one of great singers.
But when Jimmy got on stage, something surprising happened. He went through
Jimmy answered, “I did have to go, but I can show you the reason why I stayed. You can see for
2 . This Way to Dreamland Daydreaming means people think about something pleasant, especially when this makes them forget what they should be doing. Daydreamers have a bad reputation for being unaware of what’s happening around them. They can seem forgetful and clumsy.
But daydreamers are also responsible for some of the greatest ideas and achievements in human history.
Feeling safe and relaxed will help you to slip into daydreams.
It’s also important to know how to avoid daydreams for those times when you really need to concentrate. “Mindfulness”, being focused, is a tool that some people use to avoid falling asleep.
A.Having interesting things to think about also helps. |
B.They stare off into space and wander by themselves. |
C.Without wandering minds, we wouldn’t have relativity , Coke or Post-it notes. |
D.At one time, daydreaming was thought to be a cause of some mental illnesses. |
E.It involves slow, steady breathing for self-control that helps people stay calm and attentive. |
F.Daydreams are often very simple and direct, quite unlike sleep dreams, which may be hard to understand. |
G.Therefore, it’s a good idea to keep a notebook or voice recorder nearby when you’re in the daydream zone. |
3 . A Welcome Gift
Dario and his mother loved their new apartment. The living room was large enough for their piano. That night, the two of them
The next morning,
“Maybe we could go and
“What if we invited them to come here for a
They both loved the
Finally, the day of the party
“I heard you playing the other night,” she said. “The sounds woke me out of bed. I
Dario’s mother smiled at Mrs. Gilbert. “I think maybe we
“You play, you play!” Mrs. Gilbert said. “I like what you play! Just not so loud at night.” She pointed to the book she had given them. “These songs are not such
“These songs are beautiful music.” Dario’s mother said. “We will be
“And we won’t play so loud or late!” Dario said. He was already looking forward to
A.sat | B.stood | C.lay | D.walked |
A.voice | B.ring | C.music | D.cry |
A.therefore | B.however | C.otherwise | D.instead |
A.note | B.poster | C.bill | D.report |
A.proud | B.rich | C.lucky | D.nice |
A.neighbors | B.friends | C.relatives | D.audience |
A.blame | B.instruct | C.question | D.visit |
A.party | B.concert | C.show | D.play |
A.experience | B.idea | C.performance | D.action |
A.to | B.with | C.for | D.from |
A.continued | B.arrived | C.passed | D.finished |
A.order | B.sell | C.share | D.advertise |
A.treated | B.presented | C.helped | D.served |
A.promised | B.admitted | C.agreed | D.worried |
A.give | B.send | C.offer | D.owe |
A.realize | B.remember | C.understand | D.accept |
A.sweet | B.strange | C.funny | D.loud |
A.brave | B.sorry | C.happy | D.afraid |
A.changing | B.practicing | C.recording | D.writing |
A.equality | B.freedom | C.warmth | D.sympathy |
4 . People are being lured(引诱)onto Facebook with the promise of a fun and free service without realizing they’re paying for it by giving up large amounts of personal information. Facebook then attempts to make money by selling their data to advertisers that want to send targeted messages.
Most Facebook users don’t realize this is happening. Even if they know what the company is up to, they still have no idea what they’re paying for Facebook, because people don’t really know what their personal details are worth.
The biggest problem, however, is that the company keeps changing the rules. Early on, you could keep everything private. That was the great thing about Facebook—you could create your own little private network. Last year, the company changed its privacy rules so that many things—your city, your photo, your friends’ names—were set, by default(默认), to be shared with everyone on the Internet.
According to Facebook’s vice-- president Elliot Schrage, the company is simply making changes to improve its service, and if people don’t share information, they have a “less satisfying experience.”
Some critics think this is more about Facebook looking to make more money. Its original business model, which involved selling ads and putting them at the side of the page, totally failed. Who wants to look at ads when they’re online connecting with their friends?
The privacy issue has already landed Facebook in hot water in Washington. In April, Senator(议员) Charles Schumer called on Facebook to change its privacy policy. He also urged the Commission to set guidelines for social-networking sites. “I think the senators rightly communicated that we had not been clear about what the new products were and how people could choose to use them or not to use them,” Schrage admits.
I suspect that whatever Facebook has done so far to invade our privacy, it’s only the beginning, which is why I’m considering deactivating(撤销)my account. Facebook is a handy site, but I’m upset by the idea that my information is in the hands of people I don’t know. That is too high a price to pay.
1. What do we learn about Facebook from the first paragraph?A.It is website that sends messages to targeted users |
B.it makes money by putting on advertisements |
C.It provides loads of information to its users |
D.It profits by selling its users’ personal data |
A.To provide better service to its users | B.To follow the Federal guidelines |
C.To improve its users’ connectivity | D.To expand its scope of business |
A.Setting guidelines for advertising on websites |
B.Banning the sharing of users’ personal information |
C.Removing ads from all social—networking sties |
D.Formulating (制订)regulations for social—networking sties |
A.He is dissatisfied with its current service |
B.He doesn’t want his personal data abused |
C.He finds many of its users untrustworthy |
D.He is upset by its frequent rule changes |
5 . The National Gallery
Description:The National Gallery is the British national art museum built on the north side of Trafalgar Square in London. It houses a diverse collection of more than 2,300 examples of European art ranging from 13th-century religious paintings to more modern ones by Renoir and Van Gogh. The older collections of the gallery are reached through the main entrance while the more modern works in the East Wing are most easily reached from Trafalgar Square by a ground floor entrance.
Layout:The modern Sainsbury Wing on the western side of the building houses 13th-to15th-century paintings, and artists include Duccio, Uccello, Van Eyck, Lippi, Mantegna, Botticelli and Memling.
The main West Wing houses 16th-century paintings, and artists include Leonardo da Vinci, Cranach, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bruegel, Bronzino, Titan and Veronese.
The North Wing houses 17th-century paintings, and artists include Caravaggio, Rubens, Poussin, Van Dyck, Velazquez, Claude and Vermeer.
The East Wing houses 18th-to early 20th-century paintings, and artists include Canaletto, Goya, Turner, Constable, Renoir and Van Gogh.
Opening Hours:The Gallery is open every day from 10 am to 6 pm (Fridays 10 am to 9 pm) and is free, but charges apply to some special exhibitions.
Getting There:Nearest underground stations: Charing Cross (2-minute walk), Leicester Square (3-minute walk), Embankment (7-minute walk), and Piccadilly Circus (8-minute walk).
1. In which century’s collection can you see religious paintings?A.The 20th | B.The 17th |
C.The 18th | D.The 13th |
A.In the East Wing. | B.In the main West Wing. |
C.In the Sainsbury Wing. | D.In the North Wing. |
A.Charing Cross. | B.Leicester Square. |
C.Embankment. | D.Piccadilly Circus. |
I have listened to music all my life. When I was twelve years old, the Beatles came to America and my whole world opened up. Maybe young people today cannot understand the influence of the Beatles when they exploded across America. Their influence changed the way we dressed, looked, acted and spoke... even our culture. The Beatles arrived in America from the UK just under three months after the assassination(暗杀) of President John Kennedy, which had put America into a great depression. And the freshness and lively spirit of the Beatles was exactly what the country needed to refresh itself.
Music links the heart of the hearer with that of the composer. This means that it mixes the spirit of the composer with your spirit when you listen to it. And the music can take your spirit out of your body and transport you into another world. Music has a great way of touching people. Music can make you laugh, cry or shout. It's also a great source of inspiration.
Try this one day and notice what happens: make yourself a cup of tea, sit on your sofa and play one of your favorite songs. Close your eyes, and soon you'll find yourself creating vivid mental images—matching the music that you are listening to.
1. Music has magical power because it ________.
A.is a kind of language |
B.can be played much louder than words |
C.receives a personal radio signal |
D.can influence a person's spirit |
A.were the biggest band in American history |
B.are not accepted by modern American people |
C.appeared at a special time in American politics |
D.represented the roots of American culture |
A.feeling very refreshed |
B.having emotional changes |
C.painting some vivid pictures |
D.feeling inspired by the composer |
A.has been influenced by the Beatles |
B.enjoys drinking tea in his spare time |
C.admires President John Kennedy very much |
D.likes to match his own feeling with that of the composer |