Mr Smith was a wealthy industrialist, but he was not satisfied with life. He did not sleep well and his food did not  21   with him. The situation lasted for some time. Finally, after a   22   of sleepless nights, he decided to consult his doctor. The doctor advised a change of  23  . “Go abroad,” he said, “But I’m not good at foreign languages,” said Mr Smith. “It doesn’t matter,” said the doctor. “It won’t   24   you to talk a little less. Go on a voyage. Take plenty of exercise. Try to reduce your weight,  25   rich food.”

       Mr Smith went to Switzerland. He did not know French or German, and had to communicate through gestures. He attended a physical training course. The instructor made him bend his knees, swing his arms, stretch his neck and shake his head rapidly. He had to lie on the ground and raise his right and left legs   26   . After a time his muscles grew hard and firm. The life suited him; he almost put aside his financial  27   and nearly forgot the importance of making more money. He even began to  28   individual trees and individual birds. He ate and slept well. Finally he returned home. But unfortunately his improvement was temporary. Soon he was a   29   businessman again, worried about his property, his profits, his savings, his success in a  30   society, and things in general.

21. A. agree                  B. taste                  C. suit                   D. fit

22. A. series                  B. course               C. number             D. few

23. A. situations            B. surroundings      C. weather             D. life

24. A. stop                    B. hurt                  C. help                  D. prevent

25. A. eat                            B. prepare             C. avoid                D. try

26. A. highly                B. widely                     C. alternately         D. regularly

27. A. hardship             B. debts                 C. worries             D. success

28. A. see                            B. notice               C. glance               D. consider

29. A. rich                    B. happy               C. normal                     D. successful

30. A. struggle                     B. business            C. miserable          D. competitive

The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony(交响乐) that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”

Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5,I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.

Brightman led the saucy dance troupe(辣妹三人舞) Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.

Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”

1. The first paragraph tells us that _____.

  A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America

B. Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz

 C. the British people don’t like her for her style of music

 D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber

2. Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.

  A. she could adopt one 

B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children

C. she felt it normal not to have children

D. she was too busy

3.The following statements are true except ______.

  A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5

  B. Brightman disliked life on the campus

  C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young

D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous

4.The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.

A. located     B. admired     C. followed     D. found

5. What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?

 A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is not liked in Britain

 B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country

 C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland

D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain

 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网