Thirteen can be a challenging age. Not only did I have to adapt to my changing body, I also had to deal with my parents’ bitter divorce, a new family and the upsetting move from my country home to a crowed town.

When we moved, my beloved companion (伙伴), a small brown horse, had to be sold. I was heartbroken and terribly lonely. I couldn’t eat or sleep and cried all the time. Finally, realizing how much I missed my horse, my father bought me another horse, Cowboy.

Cowboy was without doubt the ugliest horse in the world. But I didn’t care. I love him beyond all reasons.

I joined a riding club. When Cowboy and I entered the events where the horse was judged by the appearance, we were quickly “shown the gate”. I knew nothing could turn Cowboy into a beauty. My only chance to compete would be in the timed speed events. I chose the jumping race.

For the whole next month we practiced running and jumping for hours in the hot sun and then I would walk Cowboy home, totally exhausted.

All of our hard work didn’t make me feel confident by the time the show came. One girl named Becky rode a big brown horse in the race events. She always won the blue ribbons (丝带). I sat at the gate and sweated all out while I watched Becky and her horse charge through the court and finish in first place.

My turn finally came. At the signal, we dashed (猛冲) towards the first fence, jumped over it without trouble and raced on to the next one. Cowboy then flew over the second, third and fourth fences like a bird and I turned him towards the finish line.

No cheers filled the air. The end of our run was met with surprised silence. Cowboy and I had beaten Becky and her fancy horse by two seconds.

I gained much more than a blue ribbon that day. At thirteen, I realized that no matter what the chances would be, I’d always be a winner if I wanted something badly enough and worked for it. I can be the owner of my fate.

1.What does the underlined word probably mean in Para. 1?

A. Exciting. B. Unforgettable.

C. Delightful. D. Frustrating.

2.Why did the author like cowboy so much in spite of its ugliness?

A. Because she loved horses more than anything else.

B. Because Cowboy was a strong and smart young horse.

C. Because Cowboy had a lot in common with her horse.

D. Because she was sad and lonely and needed a companion.

3.The audience fell into silence at the end of the run probably because________?

A. they didn’t expect Cowboy would win the event.

B. they were unhappy that Becky was beaten in the event.

C. they didn’t like Cowboy, for it was too ugly.

D. they never saw a horse running as fast as Cowboy.

4.After the competition, the author came to realize that _______?

A. she ought gather the courage to solve all the problems.

B. it was time to forget her horse and treat Cowboy better.

C. she needed to work harder to win more blue ribbons.

D. she could be the god of her own fate if she tried hard enough.

You probably know who Marie Curie was, but you may not have heard of Rachel Carson. Of the outstanding ladies listed below, who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams(1860-1935)

Anyone who has ever been helped by a social worker has Jane Addams to thank. Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She encouraged a sense of community(社区)by creating shelters and promoting education and services for people in need. In 1931,Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson(1907-1964)

If it weren’t for Rachel Carson, the environmental movement might not exist today. Her popular 1962 book Silent Spring raised awareness of the dangers of pollution and the harmful effects of chemicals on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Sandra Day O’Connor(1930-present)

When Sandra Day O’Connor finished third in her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952,she could not find work at a law firm because she was a woman. She became an Arizona state senator(参议员) and ,in 1981, the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court. O’Connor gave the deciding vote in many important cases during her 24 years on the top court.

Rosa Parks(1913-2005)

On December 1,1955,in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks would not give up her seat on a bus to a white passenger. Her simple act landed Parks in prison. But it also set off the Montgomery bus boycott. It lasted for more than a year, and kicked off the civil-rights movement. “The only tired I was, was tired of giving in,” said Parks.

1.What is Jane Addams noted for in history?

A. Her social work.

B. Her teaching skills.

C. Her efforts to win a prize.

D. Her community background.

2.Who made a great contribution to the civil-rights movement in the U.S.?

A. Jane Addams. B. Rachel Carson.

C. Sandra Day O’Connor. D. Rosa Park.

3.What can we infer about the women mentioned in the text?

A. They are highly educated. B. They are truly creative.

C. They are pioneers. D. They are peace-lovers.

Over 40 years ago, a country music DJ convention (大会) was held every year in Nashville, Tennessee. Many country performers used to attend (参加) the convention to give their performances. Fans would go to Nashville hoping to see their favorite performers. In the end, so many fans began showing up in Nashville that a festival named Fan Fair was born.

The first Fan Fair was held in April 1972, in Nashville for four days. Some of country music's biggest stars attended. There were about fifty thousand fans. The first Fan Fair was so successful that planning began almost immediately for 1973. The date was changed to June, when the weather would be better. Over one hundred thousand fans attended the second Fan Fair.

Every year brought so many performers and fans to Fan Fair that, in 1982, it was moved to the Tennessee State Fairgrounds. Fan Fair stayed at the fairgrounds for another nineteen years.

There was always the unexpected during the festival. In 1974, former Beatle Paul McCartney attended. In 1992, more than six hundred reporters from Europe, Asia, and South America went to cover the appearance of a popular star, Billy Ray Cyrus, who had introduced a new country line dance. In 1996, Garth Brooks, who made a surprise appearance, signed autographs (签名) for 23 hours.

In 2001, Fan Fair returned to downtown Nashville as the world's biggest country music festival. Now, over one hundred and twenty-five thousand country music fans go to Nashville every June. As you can imagine, those who want to attend Fan Fair must plan ahead. For example, they need to buy a ticket several months ahead of time. Of course, there's much more to prepare.

1.According to the text, Fan Fair _____.

A. has a history of more than 50 years

B. lasts almost half a month every year

C. is the most important music festival in America

D. is a time when country music lovers get together

2.The second Fan Fair _____.

A. was held in the spring of 1972

B. was more popular than the first one

C. was moved from Nashville to the fairgrounds

D. was attended by former Beatle Paul McCartney

3.The purpose of the fourth paragraph is to _____.

A. show why Fan Fair has been popular

B. introduce three famous musicians

C. explain how Fan Fair started

D. ask people to attend Fan Fair

4.What will the author probably talk about next?

A. Advice for fans.

B. Music in America.

C. Education in Nashville.

D. The future of country music.

AC/DC have postponed their US, tour after singer Brian Johnson was warned by doctors that he was at risk of“ total hearing loss". This is unsurprising that the Australian band has been pumping out the hard rock decibel(分贝). But deafness isn't only a concern for rock musicians. Anyone around music a lot has reason to be equally worried.

When you are exposed to music, risk to hearing arises from a combination of how loud the sound is and how long you' re exposed to it for. If you visit a nightclub with music at 100 dB, then after only 10~15 minutes the exposure is potentially damaging. In a quieter part of the club, but where the music is still loud enough that you have to shout at your friends, them you could be there for a couple of hours before having to worry about your hearing. Of course music frequently exceeds (超过) 80~85 dB, but what counts most in assessing the risk to hearing is the average exposure.

Exposure to high noise levels often causes temporary deafness-something many people have experienced after going to a nightclub. While hearing usually recovers , repeated loud exposure leads to permanent hearing damage. Initially, this damage is unlikely to be noticed by the listener. Problems only become significant in middle age when the noise-caused hearing loss combines with the natural loss of hearing due to ageing.

Often orchestras employ screens or “musicians ear plugs” to block sound from the loudest instruments. These decrease sound without completely blocking everything out and are very useful in rehearsal(训练),but get in the way of balancing the sound in a concert. Professional orchestras also look at how they schedule music to ensure that musicians are exposed to a mixture of quiet and loud pieces. Given how loud their instruments are, drummers are particularly at risk, but using era plugs can go some way to reducing potential hearing loss. For rock and pop musicians, using in-ear monitors has the potential to reduce noise exposure.

Improved technology means the number of musicians having to give up performing could decrease, But student musicians need to be educated about the dangers of noise-caused hearing loss. The increasing use of headphones will also work against this. Unless people are careful with the volume level on their portable music players, hearing loss caused by music will increase.

1.What does the author mainly want to show by mentioning Brian Johnson?

A. Hearing loss are very common nowadays.

B. Music and hearing loss are closely related.

C. Being with music isn't always beneficial.

D. Deafness has become musicians' major concern.

2.What matters most in evaluating the risk of hearing loss according to the text ?

A. The rhythm of music.

B. The average exposure of time.

C. The playing environment of music.

D. The listener's sensitivity to sound.

3.What dose Paragraph 4 mainly talk about ?              .

A. How the sound in a concert is balanced.

B. How professional orchestras schedule music .

C. How musicians can decrease their risk of hearing loss.

D. How different musicians work together in an orchestra.

4.Which of the following best reflects the author's opinion?

A. Improved technology can prevent hearing damage.

B. Student musicians are main sufferers of hearing loss.

C. Using headphones helps reduce hearing loss to a degree.

D. We can never be too careful with the volume level of music.

There is an old Spanish Proverb which states,"Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week".1.I'd say,too many.Our dreams should not,and cannot wait.We have to go for them now! Here's why.

1.2.Nobody likes to talk about death,but the reality is—everybody is going to die at one point.None of us know the day,or the hour.Therefore,today is all we have.Don't go to your grave with unfulfilled dreams.Make the decision to go after every dream,big or small right now.

2.The world is waiting on your gift

I know this may be hard to believe, but the world is waiting on YOU!Yes, YOU!3.Sure,other people may be able to sing.But they'll never be able to sing exactly like you.Sure other people can write,but they'll never be able to write from the same perspective in which you write.Don't deprive the world of your gift.

It's the oxygen that we need to survive.Thus,it is your responsibility to figure out exactly what your gift is,and use to better your life and the lives of those around you.

3.4.

You can dream about writing the great American play that you want,but it's never going to happen unless you actually put pen to paper.You can dream about finding a cure for cancer,but it will never happen unless you actually go to school to become equipped with the necessary tools to find that cure.5.They require you to get your head out of the clouds,and actually do the work to make them happen.Get to it!

A.You can't let fear win.

B.Tomorrow is not promised.

C.In other words,dreams don't work unless you do.

D.Possibilities you never knew existed are waiting on you

E.How many times have we put off our dreams until tomorrow?

F.Unless you take the first step,your dreams will never come true.

G.You were born into the world with a unique gift,which nobody on this earth can copy.

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