题目内容
Like many people, you may be dreaming of a career as a rock and roll star. There are two ways to go about getting one. First there is the traditional way. Find some friends and form a group. Learn to play the guitar or the drums. Write your own songs. Spend hours arguing about the band name. Then go out on the road.
The next step is to spend a year or two touring. If you are any good, the crowds will get bigger. In the end an artist from a record company may come to a show. If he or she likes you, there may be a deal. This is the route traditionally followed by bands in the music industry. Success means fame and wealth. And failure gives you some interesting stories to tell your children.
Over the last few years a different path to success has become known. Boy bands like Boyzone and girl bands like the Spice Girls don’t come together on their own. They are created by managers and record companies. Their image is strictly controlled. Professional song writers usually write their music. This is a convenient arrangement and the public seems to love the result.
Though boy and girl bands have become very popular recently, there is a long tradition of making music in this way. In the early 1960’s an American businessman called Berry Gordy founded Motown Records. Motown is short for “motor town”. The record company was based in the city of Detroit, where thousands of African-Americans had moved to work in the car industry. They brought with them a cultural tradition of writing and performing music. This style later became known as “soul music”. Berry Gordy was a diamond miner. He took raw talent from the street and polished it until it shone. Motown stars were not just given songs to sing. They were also taught how to dress well and speak properly.
1. In the first paragraph the writer seems to tell us .
A. to form a band is very hard
B. the name of the band is very important
C. newly-built bands can only perform by road
D. to form a band is very simple
2. If a newborn band wants to succeed, as the writer tells, it must have the chance .
A. to travel in big cities
B. to perform before an artist
C. to make an agreement with a record company
D. to experience failure again and again
3. From the fourth paragraph, we can conclude that .
A. Motown was only enjoyed by the workers in Detroit
B. Motown showed the style of the black Americans
C. Detroit used to be famous for its music industry
D. Detroit was found by African-Americans
4. From the passage, we can learn that Motown stars .
A. used to be miners
B. used to dress poorly
C. became perfect little by little
D. came from Berry Gordy’s hometown
提示:
1. D 参见文章第一段。 2. C 从They are created by managers and record companies可知. 3. B 参见文章第四段。 4. C 参见原文最后一段。
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Like many of my generation, I have a weakness for hero worship. At some point, however, we all begin to question our heroes and our need for them. This leads us to ask: What is a hero?
Despite immense differences in cultures, heroes around the world generally share a number of characteristics that instruct and inspire people.
A hero does something worth talking about. A hero has a story of adventure to tell and community who will listen. But a hero goes beyond mere fame.
Heroes serve powers or principles larger than themselves. Like high-voltage transformers, heroes take the energy of higher powers and step it down so that it can be used by ordinary people.
The hero lives a life worthy of imitation. Those who imitate a genuine hero experience life with new depth, enthusiasm, and meaning. A sure test for would-be heroes is what or whom do they serve? What are they willing to live and die for? If the answer or evidence suggests they serve only their own fame, they may be famous persons but not heroes. Madonna and Michael Jackson are famous, but who would claim that their fans find life more abundant?
Heroes are catalysts (催化剂) for change. They have a vision from the mountaintop. They have the skill and the charm to move the masses. They create new possibilities. Without Gandhi, India might still be part of the British Empire. Without Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King, Jr., we might still have segregated (隔离的) buses, restaurants, and parks. It may be possible for large-scale change to occur without leaders with magnetic personalities, but the pace of change would be slow, the vision uncertain, and the committee meetings endless.
【小题1】Although heroes may come from different cultures, they __________.
A.generally possess certain inspiring characteristics |
B.probably share some weaknesses of ordinary people |
C.are often influenced by previous generations |
D.all unknowingly attract a large number of fans |
A.they have a vision from the mountaintop |
B.they have warm feelings and emotions |
C.they can serve as concrete examples of noble principles |
D.they can make people feel stronger and more confident |
A.they are popular only among certain groups of people |
B.their performances do not improve their fans morally |
C.their primary concern is their own financial interests |
D.they are not clear about the principles they should follow |
A.be delayed without leaders with inspiring personal qualities |
B.not happen without heroes making the necessary sacrifices |
C.take place if there were heroes to lead the people |
D.produce leaders with attractive personalities |
Bicycles are a great way to get around. They’re fun to ride, especially down hills. And, as you speed along the road, you might also think of ways in which you could improve your bike— make it safer, more efficient, or more comfortable. In fact, the two-wheeled machines make for some cool science projects.
This year's Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), held last May in Cleveland, featured(had)three bicycle projects from three countries. Like many of the other experiments presented at ISEF, the bike projects showed that some of the most interesting scientific research often begins by taking a closer look at things you care about.
Renato Angulo Chu had even grander ambitions. The 12th-grader from Lima, Peru, wanted to address some of his country's economic troubles.
"I see a problem in my country," Renato said. "If you go to the forests in Peru, in some places you cannot find electricity. If you go with my bicycle, you can turn on the lights."
Renato, 16, spent 3 years designing his special Multibike. The device looks like a fixed exercise bike. It has wires fixed along the frame and a blender strapped (fastened) to the back. Turning the pedals operates the blender. The same principle can be used to sharpen knives or sweep city streets.
The Multibike can work either as a fixed bike or as a bicycle able to travel city streets and country roads. It's made from inexpensive materials, and the user gets exercise while pedaling to operate a machine.
"You pedal the bike, and you can mix any drink you want," Renato said. More importantly, he added, the same concept could be used to bring light to houses in remote regions of the rainforest.
1.What can we learn from the first paragraph?
A.Bikes should be made more comfortable to ride. |
B.You can improve your bicycle for science research. |
C.Many inventions are connected with the bicycle. |
D.Bicycles are the best way to go about |
2.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A.ISEF is an exhibiton displaying bicycle experiments designed by students. |
B.Looking closely at things you are concerned about can lead to scientific research. |
C.Renato’s improvement of the bicycle has solved the country’s great problem. |
D.Renato’s special bicycle will soon be put into use in remote areas.’ |
3.The underlined word “address” in the third paragraph probably has the same meaning as _______.
A.make address written |
B.give up |
C.work at |
D.speak at |
4.Renato’s special Multibike has all the following EXCEPT ________.
A.making knives sharp |
B.mixing any kind of drinks |
C.producing electricity |
D.operating a machine with its own electricity |
5.It can be inferred that Renato’s special bicycle is mainly designed for ________.
A.distant areas in the rainforest without electricity. |
B.the use of his own family to make life easier. |
C.the competition of ISEF to win money to support remote rainforests |
D.enough exercise by pedaling it |