1 . Accompanied by typical Jin opera music, a red-faced performer with a long beard showed up at the hall of a high school in Taiyuan, Shanxi Province. All the students in the hall stood up and craned (伸长) their necks to get a better look. In their eyes, Jin opera was something from the past.

They are not alone. It goes without saying that kids nowadays are much more familiar with popular music than traditional opera, which is why performing artist Wu Lingyun, together with his colleagues, goes to campuses to promote the art.

Wu Lingyun is best known for his role as Guan Gong, a general during the late Han Dynasty period.

Wu began playing the role in 1985, at the age of 21, and has been associated with it ever since.

Wu was significantly influenced by his parents, both of whom are also famous Jin opera performers. With a natural talent for performing and great effort, Wu was soon recognized by audiences and later awarded the Chinese Drama Plum Blossom Award in 2000, the highest award for Chinese drama performing arts.

Given Wu’s considerable fame, one might think he would now prefer to enjoy a life of leisure. However, this is far from the case. Deep down, Wu has a big dream. He pictures a growing future for Jin opera. Wu expected more chances for more people to get to know about the art, hoping Jin opera could become a worldwide art.

Wu has also made some changes to the traditional art to bring it up-to-date.“Jin opera should keep pace with the times if we want to bring it back to life and get the young generation to accept it,“ he says. “An art without life can never survive”“

1. How did the students react to the performance at the hall?

A．They became bored.

B．They got disappointed.

C．They felt curious.

D．They looked casual

2. What do we know about Wu Lingyun?

A．He got a top award in 2000.	B．He started his performance in his teens.
C．He now enjoys a leisure life.	D．He became famous because of his parents.

3. What does Wu Lingyun expect of Jin opera?

A．It’ll be studied as a college major.	B．It’ll be officially recognized.
C．It’ll have an easier performing form.	D．It’ll be popular across the world.

4. Which of the following best describes Wu Lingyun?

A．Humorous.

B．Kind-minded.

C．Cautious.

D．Devoted.

2 . Joao Carlos Martins is a famous pianist and conductor. However, his career has been ________ and his life has taken him in many different ________.

As a teenager Martins began to perform in concerts. But in his late twenties, he had to ________ after badly breaking his arm. It was really a terrible time. He couldn’t look at a piano or ________ listen to music. ________, he decided to become the manager of a boxer, who won the world championship later. This ________ Martins to take up the piano and practise much harder. Six years later, he gave his first concert at the Carnegie Hall, which was the most ________ moment of his life. He performed in concerts for years before he had to quit because of the unbearable ________ in his hands caused by too much ________.

Martins, in his forties, became a politician. However, he couldn’t stand this ________, so once again, he went back to the piano. All was going well until something unexpected ________ while leaving a concert. He ________ a serious brain injury and lost all the movement in his right hand. Again, with great ________ he played just with his left hand. Years later he lost the use of the left hand and ________ himself a conductor. Now, in his late seventies, Martins is still taking ________ to work and has conducted over a thousand concerts.

1.

A．smooth

B．tough

C．flexible

D．interesting

2.

A．cultures

B．forms

C．directions

D．levels

3.

A．give up

B．set out

C．turn up

D．hold out

4.

A．still

B．just

C．ever

D．even

5.

A．Generally

B．Ultimately

C．Occasionally

D．Naturally

6.

A．forced

B．promised

C．motivated

D．forbade

7.

A．realistic

B．emotiona1

C．struggling

D．striking

8.

A．pain

B．cuts

C．tension

D．sensitivities

9.

A．conducting

B．playing

C．instruction

D．competition

10.

A．career

B．popularity

C．condition

D．behavior

11.

A．existed

B．remained

C．occurred

D．continued

12.

A．found

B．suffered

C．cured

D．nursed

13.

A．patience

B．care

C．pleasure

D．determination

14.

A．fancied

B．considered

C．made

D．chose

15.

A．measures

B．chances

C．courage

D．trouble

3 . The day before we met, Juliette Binoche was in the French Alps. Today , she’s sitting in her room in Berlin’s Hotel Marriott.“We arrived last night at 12,”she says, casually brushing off her tight schedule. It ‘s been this way for four decades now , ever since she became a real hit at the Cannes FilmFestival as a 21-year-old , starring in 1985’s Rendez-vous. The film was well received and“La Binochas the French call her , was born.

Almost immediately, people were deeply attracted by this charming young lady. “After Rendez-vous,when I started , somebody asked me about doing an autobiography of my life… when I was 21 !”she reveals , quite shocked at this absurd(荒唐的)idea.”Some people actually thought about it.”

Instead , Binoche concentrated on a constant rise through the ranks of world cinema. Rather than addicted to the fame and wealth brought by Hollywood,Binoche simply continued working with celebrated filmmakers from-around the globe ,developing a reputation as a risk-taker.“For me, the risk is to repeat myself or get into a comfort zone that is not opening my horizons(视野),”she says.

Now 58, there isn’t much this extraordinary artist hasn ‘t done. On stage, she starred with Akram Khan at London ‘s National Theatre in dance piece In-i.”When you’re not a dancer , then you see that you need courage , you need trust and you need magic that is inside you that is going to take place,”she says. She also sang in the show It ‘s Almost Nothing and would love to film a musical. Which one? “I would never answer that,”she smiles.“ A film is a connection of different people.”In other words,about creative magic.

1. What do we know about Juliette Binoche in Paragraph 1 ?

A．She stayed busy after gaining fame.

B．She acted as a film star in Rendez-vous.

C．She went sightseeing in European countries.

D．She was named“La Binoche”by the German.

2. What did Juliette Binoche do after Rendez-vous?

A．She wrote an autobiography.

B．She worked in her comfort zone.

C．She kept climbing the career ladder.

D．She sought more fame and fortune.

3. What does the author mainly intend to tell us in the text?

A．Youth time passes in an instant.

B．Fame and wealth make no sense.

C．Suffering is the best teacher of life.

D．Life needs challenge and innovation.

4. Where is the text most probably taken from?

A．A magazine.

B．A novel.

C．diary.

D．A guidebook.

4 . As the saying goes, “Interest is the seed of everything”. Since childhood, Cantero had been living with football that had a _________ effect on her. She had always loved football as well as art, and fortunately she found a way to _________ the two things.

Lili Cantero prepared a new colorful show of her works to take to the World Cup in Qatar. The 29-year-old artist was famous for _________ soccer shoes for stars. Her new artworks included shoes and balls with pictures and designs. Many of them were _________ by the Middle Eastern nation, Qatar, and especially its capital Doha brought her lots of _________ ideas. The city welcomed national teams from the world to _________ in the World Cup.

Cantero _________ sent a pair of shoes to Argentine star Lionel Messi. The shoes had fancy details with black and white image of the _________ and his family. She didn’t know if Messi would even receive the shoes. But _________, she received a photo of Messi holding them. That marked a turning point in her__________. Then her colorful designs __________ other stars. She even met a famous former Brazilian star and gave him a pair of __________ and a football showing a kiss his mother had given him after winning an award in 2005.

In Qatar, Cantero planned to show eight footballs with designs that showed her __________ for eight countries winning the World Cup, thinking that they were __________ of the admiration of all. Finally, the footballs were the centerpiece of the World Cup exhibition, while the boots were presented within three-dimensional __________ looking like the stadiums that Qatar built for the World Cup.

1.

A．slight

B．limited

C．significant

D．temporary

2.

A．compare

B．explain

C．investigate

D．connect

3.

A．making

B．painting

C．purchasing

D．donating

4.

A．inspired

B．checked

C．sponsored

D．arranged

5.

A．narrow

B．conventional

C．novel

D．literary

6.

A．turn

B．compete

C．speak

D．explore

7.

A．still

B．never

C．often

D．ever

8.

A．artist

B．judge

C．player

D．photographer

9.

A．in surprise

B．in vain

C．on time

D．on hand

10.

A．plan

B．career

C．team

D．stadium

11.

A．confused

B．hurt

C．changed

D．drew

12.

A．sweaters

B．glasses

C．boots

D．socks

13.

A．respect

B．insurance

C．debt

D．cost

14.

A．aware

B．worthy

C．ignorant

D．suspicious

15.

A．maps

B．rocks

C．movements

D．structures

5 . Daughter of an opera singer, Pat Benatar first studied opera at Juilliard before dropping out to marry her high school sweetheart. Together they moved to New York, but the two soon separated. In the hope of living happily ever after, she remembered her earlier dream of becoming a professional singer and started trying hard to realize it. At night, Benatar worked as a singing waitress. During the day, she knocked at the doors of record companies with her demo tape(样带).

For three years, she was met with nothing but rejections(拒绝) from record companies. These record companies were fond of her voice but they said that she was too feminine(女性的)for the style of music she performed. Then, on Halloween night 1977, Benatar gave a performance dressed as a modern vampire(吸血鬼). The audience went wild. This experience led Benatar to change her looks. In her later performances, she usually wore black tights and a short black top.

The new style made her performances more popular, and gave her a chance to work for Chrysalis Records. Her first single, Heartbreaker, headed the Top 40 charts, as did several of her other songs. Benatar won four Grammy Awards for Best Rock Vocal performance, from 1980 to 1983. Benatar was also the winner of three American Music Awards: Favorite Female Pop/Rock Vocalist of 1981 and 1983, and Favorite Female Pop/Rock Video Artist of 1985.

In 2010, Pat Benatar wrote a book, Between a Heart and a Rock Place, discussing her early life and success in the music business.

1. Benatar wanted to realize her dream of being a professional singer after ________.

A．she ended her marriage	B．she had a daughter
C．she lost her job as a singer waitress.	D．she finished her studies at Julliard

2. Benatar was rejected by many record companies because of ________ .

A．her voice

B．her looks

C．her experience

D．her songs

3. The underlined word “wild” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.

A．crazy

B．quiet

C．impatient

D．nervous

4. The text mainly tells us about ________ .

A．a modern vampire	B．a new style of music
C．a rock star	D．an opera singer

6 . When Shao Tianshuai was 14, her dance teacher told her she had expressive eyes and an oval face, which were best suited for Kunqu Opera. She didn’t pay much ________to the comment until her mother __________ her to give the opera a try.

In 2001, Shao _________ for the Northern Kunqu Opera Theater in Beijing and came out with flying colors. The theater company is the only ________ platform in northern China devoted to Kunqu, an existing form of Chinese opera with a history of around 600 years.

Kunqu Opera, like many traditional Chinese operas, is _______ from one generation to another through singing demonstrations. It takes years to ________ basic skills, only after which performers can try and build their own _________.

“This type of opera was on the edge of decline (衰退) and the theater only had a dozen performances a year before I applied there,” says Shao. “However, the UNESCO tag gave the art a ________ life. The opera received government support and attracted the attention of young audiences.”

Usually, she performs her regular shows. ________, she arranges training for young performers and ______ on creating new pieces. She notes that two-thirds of the performers in the company are young, which injects energy to the theater founded over six decades ago.

Now, at 36, she is one of the leading ________ of Northern Kunqu Opera Theater and gives ________ 100 performances a year. Shao says, “In order to build up a young fan base, we use social media platforms and create original Kunqu Opera pieces, which ________   young people without changing the __________ of the art.”

“The heartwarming part is that so many young people like Kunqu Opera performances, whether online or offline. They are ________ to learn and explore, and as actors we cannot ask for more,” says Shao.

1.

A．attention

B．access

C．effort

D．emphasis

2.

A．aided

B．persuaded

C．requested

D．begged

3.

A．stood

B．asked

C．fought

D．applied

4.

A．professional

B．international

C．economical

D．technical

5.

A．turned down

B．set down

C．passed down

D．settled down

6.

A．master

B．design

C．admire

D．track

7.

A．audiences

B．companies

C．hobbies

D．styles

8.

A．smart

B．fresh

C．vivid

D．confident

9.

A．For reference

B．For instance

C．In addition

D．In advance

10.

A．holds

B．counts

C．lives

D．focuses

11.

A．hostesses

B．waitresses

C．actresses

D．authoresses

12.

A．nearly

B．merely

C．clearly

D．hardly

13.

A．admit

B．attract

C．account

D．attempt

14.

A．quantity

B．form

C．effect

D．nature

15.

A．intelligent

B．amazed

C．determined

D．cautious

7 . 听下面一段独白，回答第 17 至 20 题。
1. Why did the lady want the pianist to sing?

A．She was tired of listening to the piano.

B．She knew he could sing well.

C．She wanted to make him famous.

2. When did the pianist know he had a talent for singing?

A．After he became a famous pianist.

B．Long before he played the piano in the bar.

C．That night after his first singing.

3. What happened to the pianist at last?

A．He became a well-known singer in America.

B．He continued to play the piano in the bar.

C．He had his own piano bar.

4. Which of the following will the author of the passage agree on?

A．People will succeed if they have talent.

B．Few people have real talent.

C．Everyone should make full use of his talent.

8 . Will Smith jumped into a live volcano and kayaked (划皮艇) down an Icelandic whitewater river for his latest project. But he wasn’t making an action movie. It was personal.

Smith, a Hollywood leading man who admits that he’s far from enjoying outdoor activities, has put himself in danger while filming Welcome to Earth, a Disney original series from National Geographic. He was afraid at that time, but he says “It’s really difficult to enjoy things if you’re scared. I think the ability to see how beautiful things are is directly connected to your openness to them and fear closes you down.”

Smith says he was once scared of everything and hated water, but he learns to read the rapids (急流) while whitewater kayaking, rescues turtles near the Great Barrier Reef and goes 3,000 feet below the sea in a deep-water submarine.

Dr. Albert Lin, an engineer and explorer who has uncovered lost cities previously for National Geographic, was astonished to find that Smith was able to control his fears even in the face of real danger. While diving in the underground lake in Namibia, Smith got into trouble and Lin watched him “dropping at a rate that felt like maybe we wouldn’t see him again.” But Smith was able to control his mind and deal with the situation. “I respected Will Smith, the actor, before, but now I definitely have grown to truly respect Will Smith, the human being,” says Lin.

Produced by famous filmmaker Darren Aronofsky, the series carries on the tradition of National Geographic pushing the exploring envelope (极限) and employing the latest technology to help us understand our world. “I hope this can help people out there get a sense of how absolutely incredible our planet is,” says Lin.

The experts Smith has paired with teach him about speed, smell and sound and the colors out there he might miss. “You can’t really want to protect something that you don’t understand. And you can’t want to protect something that you can’t recognize as beautiful,” Smith says.

1. What enables you to enjoy beautiful things according to Smith?

A．Spirit of adventure.	B．Ability to find beauty.
C．Respect for nature.	D．Openness to change.

2. What happened to Smith in Namibia?

A．He found a lost city.	B．He nearly lost his life in a lake.
C．He entered a diving competition.	D．He went deep under the sea in a submarine.

3. What can be learned about “Welcome to Earth” from paragraph 5?

A．It explains the origin of our planet.	B．It targets potential explorers.
C．It won important film awards.	D．It applied advanced technology.

4. Where is the text probably from?

A．A guidebook.

B．A book review.

C．A magazine.

D．A diary.

9 . Michael Morgan was six years old when his father moved a neighbor’s unwanted piano into their living room. “And that’s really where the whole thing started,” he says. “My mother and grandmother had played the piano a little bit, but my father just thought it was a good thing to have in the house.” Young Michael started piano lessons, but it was when he saw a conductor (指挥) leading an orchestra on television that he realized what he really wanted to do.

At age eight, he began reading The Joy of Music by conductor and composer (作曲家) Leonard Bernstein and got to know how to direct with a baton (指挥棒) .

When Michael entered junior high, he joined an orchestra and band and learned to play many instruments. He was just 12 years old when his instructor asked him to compose and conduct a concert piece. And that was only the beginning. Throughout high school, he continued to develop his artistic talent, and after graduating, he headed to Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

Morgan is dedicated (致力于) to offering kids a chance to explore classical music. In his hometown of Oakland, California, he started to volunteer in local schools, conducting student orchestras and talking with kids about music. Later, Morgan developed MUSE (Music for Excellence), a music education program for kids.

He brings musicians from Oakland Symphony into classrooms to teach kids. He also works with teachers in after-school programs to teach students who can’t afford lessons.

Morgan says his work is mostly about providing young people with an entrance into music. “Instruments are a way for kids to express their feelings, and give them an interest they can carry with them through life,” he says.

1. Why did Michael’s father move a piano into their house?

A．It was a gift from their neighbor.	B．It was his mother and wife’s favorite.
C．He just wanted to have one in the house.	D．He wanted to give Michael piano lessons.

2. When did Michael begin to learn how to conduct?

A．After he developed MUSE.

B．After he read The Joy of Music.

C．After he was asked to compose a concert piece.

D．After he studied at Oberlin Conservatory of Music.

3. What can kids do by attending MUSE?

A．Get the chance of entering college.	B．Become world-class musicians.
C．Receive music education.	D．Join Oakland Symphony.

4. How is the text mainly developed?

A．By giving examples.	B．By expressing opinions.
C．By making comparisons.	D．By following time order.

10 . This painting Spring Bouquet has a precise structure. The flowers spill over into the lower left-hand corner, with an imbalance as free and as wild as nature. But at once the artist responds to this unbalance. To the right of the vase, Renoir has developed a heavy shadow area, rich in purples and sharply contrasted with the light below it. The placing of the straight line in the lower right side is necessary. If the reader covers this line, he will see that the composition becomes unbalanced.

The Impressionist technique had not yet developed when Renoir painted this picture. Yet the painting with light and color indicates Impressionism is around the corner; there is something of that school in the feeling of the out-of-doors that Renoir has acquired. The texture (纹理) of the flowers is described. Above all, one can’t help saying the very nice smell of the flowers is there, too.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir was born in 1841. He began working as a young painter of porcelain and textiles. At age 21, Renoir entered the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris and went on to study under the instructions of painter Charles Gleyre’s. Even though his paintings had been initially rejected by the Academy and the public, with time he became one of the most admired artists of his generation.

Unfortunately, in 1899, he was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis (风湿性关节炎). It is a disease that causes a lot of pain. In addition, the person affected by it may also have deformities (畸形). Consequently, his movements became very limited and each movement was a big and certainly painful effort.

His son, Jean Renoir, writes in the book Renoir, My Father after his father passed away, the reaction of the people to the painting of the father, after seeing his hands:

Visitors who were unprepared for this could not take their eyes off his deformity. Though they did not dare to mention it, their reaction would be expressed by some such phrase as “It isn’t possible!” With hands like that, how can he paint those pictures? There’s some mystery somewhere.

1. What can readers see in the painting?

A．A vase in the left corner.	B．A shadow to the vase’s right.
C．A straight line at the bottom.	D．A natural light in the middle.

2. What seems quite special about this picture when people appreciate it?

A．The painting material.	B．The color choice.
C．The smelly flower taste.	D．The impressive feeling.

3. What does the underlined word “this” in the last paragraph refer to?

A．Renoir, My Father.	B．Spring Bouquet.
C．Rheumatoid arthritis.	D．Renoir’s bravery.

4. Which can be a suitable title for the text?

A．Patience Is a Lifetime Practice	B．Pain Passes, but Beauty Remains
C．Impressionism Is a Unique Technique	D．Work hard, and You Will Catch Up