1 . The stage lights dimmed, and I took a quick look from behind the heavy black curtains into the audience. Blinded by the lights, I quickly______. It seems that a great number of eyes were looking at me. I took a deep ______as the music of my dance began to play. I entered the stage and began my______, the graduation test of the classical Indian dance.

After a decade of learning this art form, I had______been considered ready to take on the most difficult act. The test is the most important event in a dancer's life, as it pays______to all the factors in one's life that______the dance form: one's culture and family.

The performance is undertaken only by the most______and determined students. It is a difficult process that requires much______. For more than six months, I spent two to three hours every day______these dances. Many times, I______myself to my physical and mental breaking point, but still I would not stop. I could not give up. There was always so much more to do and so much more to______.

I______a lot about myself in those tiring hours. I learned that I was far too______to give up, and I was too proud to prove myself______after I had set an unrealistic goal. Even with physical pain and mental______,   I forced myself to meet my______. Even when I was at the end of my______,     there was always something driving me on, forcing me not to give up.

Fortunately, I made it. What I had done______the success. It was in those hours that I learned what a dancer______is. Those time was evidence that I could______something I set out to do.

1.

A．reached out

B．set off

C．pulled back

D．broke away

2.

A．sleep

B．breath

C．thought

D．sorrow

3.

A．career

B．attempt

C．response

D．performance

4.

A．eventually

B．easily

C．absolutely

D．desperately

5.

A．debt

B．respect

C．interest

D．visit

6.

A．develop

B．rescue

C．introduce

D．promote

7.

A．beautiful

B．focused

C．intelligent

D．considerate

8.

A．talent

B．strength

C．comprehension

D．commitment

9.

A．recording

B．discussing

C．practicing

D．designing

10.

A．pushed

B．addicted

C．treated

D．applied

11.

A．forget

B．design

C．learn

D．research

12.

A．discovered

B．abandoned

C．controlled

D．undertook

13.

A．brilliant

B．brave

C．stubborn

D．discouraged

14.

A．careless

B．nervous

C．frightened

D．wrong

15.

A．function

B．stress

C．level

D．action

16.

A．budget

B．deadline

C．expense

D．expectation

17.

A．limit

B．purpose

C．preparation

D．destination

18.

A．increased

B．deserved

C．expanded

D．exposed

19.

A．completely

B．chiefly

C．originally

D．truly

20.

A．change

B．supply

C．accomplish

D．explain

2 . Are you sometimes stressed? Singing is a simple and effective way to reduce stress. It is beneficial mainly in the following three aspects.

Physical Benefits

    1     This is especially recommended for the elders and those who have some form of disability in their voice. However, it is important to find a capable instructor to employ good singing techniques so as not to further damage vocal cords (声带) or lungs.

Singing also helps to improve your posture (姿势). Most people think that singing begins and ends with their mouth.     2     Singing practice will get you used to the proper body position of standing and help you form the good habit of standing straight.

Emotional Benefits

Singing helps in reducing your depression and lowering your stress level. When you sing, your body releases chemicals that make you feel happy, easing the tension and helping you to relax.     3    

Social Benefits

The social benefits of singing are huge.     4     So people who suffer from stage fright are advised to sing in front of family and friends before a live performance.

Singing is also very good for improving your communication skills. It is said that singing to babies helps to prepare their brains for language and may lessen the risk of language problems later in life.     5     The time spent in group singing, whether in a choir or at karaoke, creates a deep and lasting bond of friendship.

A．Try to regain your memory by singing.

B．First, it can help build up your confidence greatly.

C．When you sing, you can give your lungs a workout.

D．Singing helps you to strengthen your immune system.

E．For adults, singing also enlarges your circle of friends.

F．In fact, the position of each body part affects your voice.

G．So, start to sing your favorite song next time you are feeling upset.

3 . Today show's Kathie Lee Gifford is hoping to bring the story of David to a new generation with her latest musical project, The Little Giant.

The 13-song album tells the story of the shepherd (牧羊人) boy who defeated a giant with five stones and a slingshot and became a king. The idea of the record came after Gifford and her husband Frank went on a life-changing trip to the Holy Land in 2012.

Gifford hoped to shine light on David's story to help a new generation find their own purpose; it's why she decided to compose this album that invites kids to hear the tale of the shepherd in a fun and educational way. Gifford based the record's opening track What is Your Stone on bravery and faith. She hopes the songs can help children find confidence in themselves.

Though the album is aimed towards families and children, Gifford found recording the story of David to be an exercise in healing after the death of her beloved husband Frank who passed away two years ago.

"I catch myself saying that I lost him sometimes," Gifford says, "No, he hasn't been gone. The trip took root in my husband's life, because he truly came to understand exactly what David did."

Gifford says the trip and the teachings stayed with her husband until his death. For the next three years, when people came to visit us, they’d always see Frank's trophy (奖杯) room because it's like a museum," Gifford explained. "He would take them over. Instead of all of his trophies, he would point to the stones we brought back from the travelling destination and talk about them. "

Gifford expects her own journey, her new album and her commitment to bringing a bit of joy to people through her show can help inspire children to discover their own faith and purpose.

1. What was Gifford's main intention of making the album?

A．To honor the meaningful trip.

B．To show her love to her husband.

C．To help children find faith and purpose.

D．To make children understand David's story.

2. How did the album benefit Gifford?

A．It made her become a superstar.

B．It made her win lots of trophies.

C．It helped her plan to have a trip to the Holy Land.

D．It helped her recover from the pain of losing Frank.

3. What does the underlined word "them" in paragraph 6 refer to?

A．The visitors.

B．The stones.

C．The trophies.

D．The trips.

4. What do we know from the text?

A．David was the hero of many children.

B．Gifford finished recording the album in 2012.

C．Frank had won much glory when he was alive.

D．The author liked Gifford's songs very much.

4 . You dash through a crowded railway station, tripping over bags, spilling (泼出) your coffee, only to have the doors slide shut in your face, leaving you breathless on the platform as the train pulls away.

But at least, if you’re in France, someone may be playing the piano for you. But it won’t be performed by a paid musician, or even a street entertainer playing for coins. It will just be a random passer-by, jamming for the fun of it on one of the pianos that the national railroad company, S. N. C. F., has fixed in nearly 100 stations across France. They are free for anyone to play, and travelers from all walks of life have taken to doing just that.

Gares & Connexions, the S. N. C. F. division that manages its stations, rents the instruments from the producer, Yamaha: which maintains them and tunes them every month or two. The first one was set up in the Gare Montparnasse in Paris in 2012.

The music, mixed with the sounds of shouting passengers, screaming trains and rolling suitcases, gives French stations a special soundscape. The amateur musicians have included Irish soccer fans and even babies. In 2014, Gares & Connexions and Yamaha organized a nationwide contest called Your Turn to Play, asking participants to submit videos of themselves using one of the pianos. It drew nearly 900 entries.

Isn’t the railroad company taking a big chance? Apparently not: “None of the instruments has been vandalized to this day, or even merely damaged,” said Claire Foumon, a spokeswoman for Gares & Connexions. “They are shared and respected by all.”

So if you miss a train in Paris; Bordeaux or Marseille one day, perhaps someone will be playing a favorite piece that will ease your pain. Or perhaps you’ll sit down and play your annoyance away yourself.

1. Why did Gares & Connexions fix pianos in railway stations?

A．To advertise Yamaha’s products.	B．To make stations more attractive.
C．To let travelers have a relaxing trip.	D．To help street artists make a living.

2. What does Paragraph 4 mainly tell us?

A．The contest has proved a hit.	B．The pianos are very popular.
C．Railway stations are crowded.	D．Everyone can be an amateur musician.

3. What does the underlined word “vandalized” in Paragraph 5 probably mean?

A．Selected carefully.	B．Checked regularly.
C．Reserved in advance.	D．Destroyed on purpose.

4. What would be the best title for the text?

A．Miss a train yet catch a tune	B．A soundscape in the memory
C．The role of piano in French life	D．An amazing train with a piano bar

5 . Good morning. The program today is about music. The word “music” comes from the Greek word “muse”. The Muses are the goddesses of the arts. Music is only one of the arts. It is like the spoken language, but it uses sounds. Today’s program brings together music from different corners of the world. Who invented music? Who sang the first song? No one knows exactly the answers to these questions. But we know that music plays an important part in almost everyone’s life. Babies and young children love to hear people singing to them. When they are a little older, they like to sing the songs they have heard. When children go to school, their world of music grows. In the middle grades students take music lessons. When they reach high school, they become more and more interested in listening to pop music.

The records we have chosen for you today are from American country music, Indian music, pop music and so on. Music has different meanings for everyone. It can make people happy or it can make them sad. Music is now heard everywhere, in shops, on buses and at home. In this program we shall study the language of music. We shall be trying to find out more about how music works. We shall try to find out how music says what people feel. It is worth making the effort. Only then can we say why one piece of music is good and another is bad.

Now, here comes the music today. I shall explain why they are all good music...
1. What is the first paragraph mainly about?

A．Some knowledge about music.

B．The origin of music.

C．Something about the announcer.

D．Some questions about music.

2. Which of the following is not the purpose of this music program?

A．To study the language of music.

B．To learn more about music.

C．To find out how music expresses people’s feelings.

D．To tell us we should listen to music every day.

3. What does the announcer think about the function of music in our life?

A．It is important to almost everyone.

B．It is necessary for the young.

C．It plays a great role when we are children.

D．It decides our future.

4. The text will continue to talk about some ________.

A．old and unpopular music

B．nice and popular music

C．songs sung by the young today

D．reasons why some composers（作曲家） play such music

6 . 阅读下面短文，掌握其大意，从短文后所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。

Music can make us feel happy or peaceful, or move us to tears. As an orchestra conductor(指挥), Amy Anderson allows people to experience many _____ that music can give.

Anderson fell in love with _____ as a child. She began playing the piano at seven. She bought many videos _____ by the world’s great orchestras and conductors and _____ listened to them for hours. During a concert, the audiences see the _____ of a conductor and the arm movements he or she uses. What audiences do not see is all the work the conductor has done before the _____. However, a few months before a concert, Anderson studies the music by _____ it on the piano. She listens to recording, reads about the musician’s life, and reviews some _____ events that would have influenced the musician. Her goal is to present the music as the musician _____.

While conducting, Anderson uses her whole body to ______ how the music should sound and feel. Her ______ are strong when the music is ______ and gentle when the music is peaceful. As she conducts, Anderson listens out for the ______ with the balance of different kinds of instruments or voices.

To ______ young musicians to understand how to play the music, Anderson tells them to imagine a ______ and relaxing walk or a ship being tossed(颠簸) by waves. “It is music’s ability to ______ people that I like most,” says Anderson. She has seen audiences at her concerts clap their hands together. ______, listeners are moved to tears by the music. After one concert in Serbia, the audiences ______ around the orchestra’s buses and showed their ______ for the musicians. Anderson is happy to be a conductor, because music can ______ people’s spirits and bring joy into ordinary days.

1.

A．feelings

B．characters

C．thoughts

D．changes

2.

A．painting

B．art

C．music

D．dance

3.

A．kept

B．recorded

C．praised

D．directed

4.

A．never

B．gradually

C．finally

D．always

5.

A．face

B．head

C．look

D．back

6.

A．schedule

B．performance

C．task

D．meeting

7.

A．putting

B．beating

C．playing

D．repeating

8.

A．important

B．strange

C．meaningless

D．unpleasant

9.

A．designed

B．expected

C．impressed

D．ordered

10.

A．prove

B．recognize

C．learn

D．express

11.

A．ideas

B．accents

C．movements

D．voices

12.

A．energetic

B．magical

C．wonderful

D．lively

13.

A．signals

B．problems

C．sounds

D．challenges

14.

A．encourage

B．force

C．remind

D．help

15.

A．short

B．quick

C．calm

D．heavy

16.

A．influence

B．tell

C．watch

D．meet

17.

A．Firstly

B．Frequently

C．Fortunately

D．Lately

18.

A．ran

B．drove

C．walked

D．gathered

19.

A．kindness

B．care

C．appreciation

D．understanding

20.

A．lift

B．follow

C．show

D．bring