3 . George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America's greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwin's songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way — from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world­famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition (作曲)with the well­known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz­influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics (评论家)were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty­nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

1. Many of Gershwin's musical works were ________．

A．written about New Yorkers	B．composed for Paul Whiteman
C．performed in various ways	D．played mainly in the countryside

2. What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?

A．It proved jazz could be serious music.

B．It attracted more people to theatres.

C．It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.

D．It caused a debate among jazz musicians.

3. What did Gershwin do during his stay in Paris?

A．He studied with Nadia Boulanger.	B．He created one of his best works.
C．He argued with French critics.	D．He changed his music style.

4. What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A．The death of Gershwin was widely reported.

B．Many of Gershwin's works were lost.

C．A concert was held in memory of Gershwin.

D．Brain cancer research started after Gershwin's death.

5. Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A．Serious and boring.	B．Talented and productive.
C．Popular and unhappy.	D．Friendly and honest.

4 . I ran all the way to the post office, only ___ that it had closed.

A．finding

B．having found

C．to find

D．to be found

5 . 阅读表达

Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there are more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teach valuable life skills. When you work with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will benefit you at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis(骨质疏松).

Playing sports builds self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can reduce stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you—both on and off the field!

1. What’s the main idea of the text? (no more than 8 words)
2. List three advantages that exercise can give you when you are in school. (no more than 6 words)
3. In your opinion, why are sports good for your health? (no more than 20 words)
4. What does “they” refer to in Para. 5? (one word)
5. What can lift your mood while playing sports? (no more than 15 words)

6 . With two children _____ middle school in the nearby town now, the parents are working hard.

A．to attend	B．attending
C．attended	D．having attended

7 . I was watching the clock all through the meeting, as I had a train ________.

A．catching	B．caught
C．to catch	D．to be caught

8 . ______ in London, the penniless American wandered on the pavement, ______ to find a job to make a living.

A．Lost; hoped	B．Losing; hoped
C．Lost; hoping	D．Losing; hoping

9 . Two friends have an argument that breaks up their friendship forever, even though neither one can remember how the whole thing got started. Such sad events happen over and over in high schools across the country. In fact, according to an official report on youth violence, "In our country today, the greatest threat to the lives of children and adolescents is not disease or starvation or abandonment, but the terrible reality of violence". Given that this is the case, why aren't students taught to manage conflict the way they are taught to solve math problems, drive cars, or stay physically fit?
First of all, students need to realize that conflict is unavoidable. A report on violence among middle school and high school students indicates that most violent incidents between students begin with a relatively minor insult (侮辱). For example, a fight could start over the fact that one student eats a peanut butter sandwich each lunchtime. Laughter over the sandwich can lead to insults, which in turn can lead to violence. The problem isn't in the sandwich, but in the way students deal with the conflict.
Once students recognize that conflict is unavoidable, they can practice the golden rule of conflict resolution (解决) stay calm. Once the student feels calmer, he or she should choose words that will calm the other person down as well. Rude words, name-calling, and accusation only add fuel to the emotional fir On the other hand, soft words spoken at a normal sound level can put out the fire before it explodes out of control.
After both sides have calmed down, they can use another key strategy for conflict resolution; listening. Listening allows the two sides to understand each other. One person should describe his or her side, and the other person should listen without interrupting. Afterward, the listener can ask non-threatening questions to clarify the speaker’s position. Then the two people should change roles.
Finally, students need f. consider what they are hearing. This doesn’t mean trying to figure out what's wrong with the other person. It means understanding what the real issue is and what both sides are trying to accomplish. For example, a shouting match over a peanut butter sandwich might happen because one person thinks the other person is unwilling to try new things. Students need to ask themselves questions such as these: How did this start? What do I really want? What am I afraid off As the issue becomes clearer, the conflict often simply becomes smaller. Even if it doesn't, careful thought helps both sides figure out a mutual solution.
There will always be conflict in schools, but that doesn’t mean there needs to be violence. After students in Atlanta started a conflict resolution program, according to Educators for Social Responsibility, “64 percent of the teachers reported less physical violence in the classroom; 75 percent of the teachers reported an increase in student cooperation; and 92 percent of the students felt better about themselves”. Learning to resolve conflicts can help students deal with friends, teachers, parents, bosses, and coworkers. In that way, conflict resolution is a basic life skill that should be taught in schools across the country.
1. This article is mainly about _______.

A．the lives of school children	B．the cause of arguments in schools
C．how to analyze youth violence	D．how to deal with school conflicts

2. From Paragraph 2 we can learn that ________.

A．violence is more likely to occur at lunchtime

B．a small conflict can lead to violence

C．students tend to lose their temper easily

D．the eating habit of a student is often the cause of a fight

3. Why do students need to ask themselves the questions stated in Paragraph 5?

A．To find out who to blame.

B．To get ready to buy new things.

C．To make clear what the real issue is.

D．To figure out how to stop the shouting match.

4. After the conflict resolution program was started in Atlanta, it was found that ______.

A．there was a decrease in classroom violence

B．there was less student cooperation in the classroom

C．more teachers fell better about themselves in schools

D．the teacher-student relationship greatly improved

5. The writer’s purpose for writing this article is to _______.

A．complain about problems in school education

B．teach students different strategies for school life

C．advocate teaching conflict management in schools

D．inform teachers of the latest studies on school violence

10 . One might expect that the ever­growing demands of the tourist trade would bring nothing but good for the countries that receive the holiday­makers. Indeed, a rosy picture is painted for the long­term future of the holiday industry. Every month sees the building of a new hotel somewhere. And every month another rock­bound Pacific island is advertised as the ‘last paradise(天堂) on earth’．
However, the scale and speed of this growth seem set to destroy the very things tourists want to enjoy. In those countries where there was a rush to make quick money out of sea­side holidays, over­crowded beaches and the concrete jungles of endless hotels have begun to lose their appeal.
Those countries with little experience of tourism can suffer most. In recent years, Nepal set out to attract foreign visitors to fund developments in health and education. Its forests, full of wildlife and rare flowers, were offered to tourists as one more untouched paradise. In fact, the nature all too soon felt the effects of thousands of holiday­makers traveling through the forest land. Ancient tracks became major routes for the walkers, with the consequent exploitation of precious trees and plants.
Not only can the environment of a country suffer from the sudden growth of tourism. The people as well rapidly feel its effects. Farmland makes way for hotels, roads and airports; the old way of life goes. The one­time farmer is now the servant of some multi­national organization; he is no longer his own master. Once it was his back that bore the pain; now it is his smile that is exploited. No doubt he wonders whether he wasn't happier in his village working his own land.
Thankfully, the tourist industry is waking up to the responsibilities it has towards those countries that receive its customers. The protection of wildlife and the creation of national parks go hand in hand with tourist development and in fact obtain financial support from tourist companies. At the same time, tourists are being encouraged to respect not only the countryside they visit but also its people.
The way tourism is handled in the next ten years will decide its fate and that of the countries we all want to visit. Their needs and problems are more important than those of the tourist companies. Increased understanding in planning world­wide tourism can preserve the market for these companies. If not, in a few years' time the very things that attract tourists now may well have been destroyed.
1. What does the author indicate in the last sentence of Paragraph 1?

A．The Pacific island is a paradise.

B．The Pacific island is worth visiting.

C．The advertisement is not convincing.

D．The advertisement is not impressive.

2. The example of Nepal is used to suggest ________.

A．its natural resources are untouched

B．its forests are exploited for farmland

C．it develops well in health and education

D．it suffers from the heavy flow of tourists

3. What can we learn about the farmers from Paragraph 4?

A．They are happy to work their own lands.

B．They have to please the tourists for a living.

C．They have to struggle for their independence.

D．They are proud of working in multi­national organizations.

4. Which of the following determines the future of tourism?

A．The number of tourists.

B．The improvement of services.

C．The promotion of new products.

D．The management of tourism.

5. The author's attitude towards the development of the tourist industry is ________.

A．optimistic	B．doubtful
C．objective	D．negative