I HEAR America beeping(嘟嘟响).

 Beep,says my cellophane when it gets a text message.

  Beep,says my microwave oven when my sandwich  is warmed up. 

 Sometimes  I long for a natural sound:a bird singing,dog barking,children laughing, anything to drown out  the maddening beeps that have become the soundtrack(配乐)to modern life.

  My cellophane? It isn’t enough that its ring tone offerings seem to stretch from  “annoymg” toextremely “annoying”. It also has to beep whenever someone texts messages me. 

The microwave? A bell rings when it's finished heating my food.But is that enough? No.If I don’t rush to it right away, it starts beeping,like an impatient child tugging(用力拉) at my sleeve(袖子).

 The smoke detector(探测器) is the worst offender.When its batteries are in need of replacement,it 1ets out a series of chirps.The things that don’t beep buzz(嗡嗡响).And for some reason,beeping and buzzing is beneath them,they clear their throats and perform a symphony. Like my TV, each time I turn it on, it performs an aria(咏叹调):La di da di dum.Salutions! Here I am! Same thing when I turn it off: La di da di dum.Good bye, kind sir! Until the next time

But at 1east I know where each of these sounds is coming from.That isn’t always the case.For weeks, my wife and I were awoken in the night by a beeping.There,in the stillness, we went through the possible suspects.Could we have a text message? Could it be any of the devices(装置)able to make a sound? Curling iron, rice cooker, smoke detector, TV set,clock radio...

The only way to tell was to chase the sound down ,but no sooner  would we pull on our bathrobes than the beeping would stop. We didn’t hear it every night but often enough that we would climb into bed wondering whether our sleep  would be interrupted by that maddening sound,that beep.

  Finally,early one morning,my wife found it:in the study,under a desk,a big plastic cube that was plugged into the wall.It was an uninterruptible power supply that we’d inherited(继承)from my wife’s mother.We’d never known it was capable of speech. 

I think it just wanted someone to talk to.

14.What does the writer truly mean by saying“I hear America beeping”?

A.American people like devices that beep.

B.Americans are crazy about sending text messages.

C.In modern society people are dependant on technology.

D.The soundtrack to modern life is no longer natural.

15.Why couldn’t the author and his wife find the source of the noise in their house in the beginning?

A.There were too many devices for them to check.

B.They were unwilling to get up at midnight.

C.They had never known that thing could beep too.

D.The noise didn’t come every day.

16.After reading this passage,we can probably tell the author    

   A.enjoys being surrounded by beeps  B.has a touch of humor in his writing

C.tries to avoid using anything that beeps

D.understands the beeping is designed to be user-friendly

As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here(Britain) – the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber (he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.

The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony 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.”

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

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

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

The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.

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

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 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

任务型阅读

某校正在开展课外阅读小组活动Peter, Helen, Catherine, Elizabeth和Jessica想根据自己小组成员的喜好找一篇英语阅读材料。阅读下面某报纸的文章摘要(A, B, C, D, E, F),选出适合他们的文章,并在答题纸上将相应选项的标号涂黑。选项中有一项是多余选项。

    1.Peter’s group members are fond of an article which can help them to find something that can both challenge their intelligence and provide entertainment.

    2.Helen’s group members are fashionable and fond of advanced technology.They like reading something that can provide them with inspirations in achieving success and changing people’s way of life.

3.Catherine’s group members are athletic and spend a lot of time working out.They are fond of any stories about stars in the sports world.

    4.Elizabeth’s group members want to read some articles which can help them keep pace with the trend of fashion.They hope to find in the article some hints on helping improve their appearances.

    5.Jessica’s group members are keen on becoming volunteers and therefore are looking for some articles that can increase their chances of being chosen.

(A)

Wang’s little big ideas

Apps are transforming smart phones into multi-tasking gadgets that can locate a good restaurant and even help you with your love life.As the iPhone4 hits China, Zhang Chunmei meets the Chinese programmer behind an App Store bestseller to find how a tiny idea can make a big difference and how apps influence our digital lifestyle.

(B)

Showcase for talent

Susan Boyle, you better watch out.Semifinal day on China’s Got Talent is fast approaching and these contestants(竞争者) just might push you off your pedestal (宝座).Like them or hate them, there’s no denying the contestants are causing something of a stir across the country.The performers singled out on this page will certainly offer a show about which you’ll have something to say.

(C)

Top of the crops

You might think Fashion Week is about dresses rather than hairstyles.But you’d be wrong.Whether the models are in New York, London or Milan, who’s sporting the prettiest, trendiest or most shocking hairstyle is as hot a topic as the clothes on the catwalk.Despite the many hair highlights of the 2010 Fashion Week, we’ve managed to comb through the masses of material to pick a few of our favorites here.

(D)

Movie messes with your head

Driving home from a screening of Inception, my husband said to me: “I don’t know how you are going to write about this movie.” “What, you mean without giving anything away?” I asked.“No,” he said.“I don’t know how you are going to explain what it’s about.” The film, by writer-director Christopher Nolan, is a gorgeous(极好的), technically perfect symphony(交响曲) of images and ideas.

(E)

Woods to split

The marriage between the golf star and his wife is officially over.Official divorce papers state that “the marriage between the parties is irretrievably broken”, thus bringing to an end the couple’s six-year marriage.Woods and Nordgren have lived apart since Woods’ November 2009 car crash, which was followed by Woods’ public admission of a series of affairs with other women.

(F)

Flowers set to bloom

What exactly does it take for a young woman to be considered a “campus flower?” Some say beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but surely there must be certain essential criteria.Perhaps we can get some answers by taking a closer look inside the training camp of the Universiade Star in Shenzhen, a competition organized to select the guides, waiters, torchbearers and flag bearers for the 2011 games.

What sounds or impressions are you making on the people around you? Think about it. Your words, phrases, even your message may soon be forgotten but believe me, good or   1   , your melody music.

An odd choice of phrase? Not really. The dictionary   2   melody? as a succession of sounds, and what is life other than the combining and blending of a succession of movements and sounds.

Just as a musical composition affects the moods and emotions of people who hear it, so too does the way you live your   3   .

Think of your life as a   4   sheet of manuscript paper. Only the rhythm is there ------it is    5   to you to create the harmony. Naturally you will want your composition to be a   6   , a chart buster' even a Symphony - something to be remembered with pleasure.

So where to   7   ? YOU MUST BEGIN WITH YOURSELF. Have the right   8   , enjoy life, - and most importantly, be optimistic about the future.

Be really   9   in other people. Make a conscience effort to bring peace and happiness into other people's lives.

  10   situations that generate excessive ambition, envy, anger

and pride. They are all   11   of peace and will play ruin with your harmony.

  12   has been said that if these emotions or feelings were forgotten, the world would live in permanent peace. Well, to banish(消除) them from the world is probably aiming a bit high but it shouldn't be too   13   to rid them from your own life.

Develop features such as smart, social, and sensitivity. These attributes are invaluable in enhancing not only your own life but the lives of those around you.

Everything you do has an   14   on those around you. The way you move, whether you   15   or frown. You are capable of making someone's day bright or miserable.

Take time to    16    other people. If there are too many discords & not enough harmony in their lives,   17   them to have a brighter outlook.

Throughout the world most people are striving for   18   .

From the family unit   19   around the dinner table to world leaders at the conference table, the name of the game is the pursuit of peace.

So, let us all play our part in composing the rhythm of life by consciously choosing peace and harmony in our daily lives to   20   a harmonious Universe.

(   ) 1. A. wrong     B. false       C. bad           D. harmful

(   ) 2. A. defines      B. thinks        C. regards      D. acts

(   ) 3. B. school       B. home            C. life           D. college

(   ) 4. A. blank       B. used       C. full           D. deserted

(   ) 5. A. ready       B. decided     C. possible     D. up

(   ) 6. A. failure            B. success      C. model       D. mess

(   ) 7. A. do                  B. write     C. make     D. begin

(   ) 8. A. attitude     B. type          C. mood            D. opinion

(   ) 9. A. enthusiastic        B. mild       C. interested   D. cautious

(   ) 10. A. Choose      B. Discover    C. Avoid            D. Design

(   ) 11. A. enemies     B. friends      C. conditions D. helps

(   ) 12. A. Which       B. It              C. What     D. These

(   ) 13. A. easy       B. willing      C. difficult     D. terrifying

(   ) 14. A. effort            B. mark     C. damage     D. effect

(   ) 15. A. smile       B. cry            C. shout     D. talk

(   ) 16. A. attack      B. listen to     C. change      D. interview

(   ) 17. A. encourage B. defeat        C. train       D. stop

(   ) 18. A. war        B. peace            C. fight       D. talk

(   ) 19. A. arranged    B. reached     C. seated        D. loaded

(   ) 20. A. create     B. invent       C. seek       D. protect

 

1.His platinum albums such as “You Make Me Happy and Sad,” “Flowery Heart,” “Music Brings Us Together” and “Emil & Friends” have brought him numerous awards in Singapore, and China’s Taiwan and Hong Kong.

2. Jonathan Lee represents the creative spirit of the past 20 years in Taiwan and many renowned singers like Sarah Chan (Chen Shuhua), Sandy Lam (Lin Yilian), Emil Chau (Zhou Huajian) and Karen Mok (Mo Wenwei) draw great inspiration from Lee's works.

3. Jasmine Leong is a Malaysian singer who is very popular on the Taiwan music scene. Focusing on lyrical songs, Leong's Beijing performance will also tap into rock & roll music.

4.To remember Henrik Ibsen, with pianist Wolfgang Plagge, violinist Annar Folles and soprano Gao Xia, the Norwegian Ibsen Trio will present the classic works of the celebrated playwright.

5.The mix of musical treats for children in Beijing includes various kinds of art forms, including Western classical music and Chinese traditional music, as well as puppet plays, crosstalk shows, and highlights of Chinese local operas such as Peking Operas and Kunqu Operas.

A. Commemorative show: To mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen, the founder of modern prose drama, a concert titled “Nora's Songs” will be given.

Time: 7:30 pm, March 20

Place: Peking University Concert Hall

Tel: 6275-2279, 6275-9637

B. Feel the mood: Jonathan Lee will host his 2006 concert in Beijing. As the master of music in Taiwan, Lee is famous for his unique annotation of love, mood and life.

Time: 7:30 pm, March 24, 25

Place: Capital Gymnasium, Baishiqiao Lu, Haidian District

Tel: 6835-4020

C. Chamber music: The chamber concert series of China Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra will greet audiences with a woodwind quintet, a string quartet plus Bach's piano concerto and suite.

Time: 7:30 pm, March 25

Place: The Concert Hall of the Central Conservatory of Music, 43 Baojiajie, Xicheng District

Tel: 6641-4759, 6642-5744

D. Pop star: Singer and composer Emil Chau, one of the most admired music idols in China and Southeast Asia, will perform a solo concert in Beijing. Chau was born in Hong Kong and attended college in Taiwan. He has released more than 30 albums in Mandarin, Cantonese and English.

Time: 7:30 pm, March 31

Place: Capital Gymnasium, Baishiqiao Lu, Haidian District

Tel: 6833-5552

E. Music for children: Some 50 colourful music-related performances will be staged until August 28 in an "Open the Door to Music" series of concerts, in a move to foster Chinese children's taste for art. The concert series will be held in several venues, sponsored by the Forbidden City Concert Hall and supported by the Beijing Municipal Culture Bureau.

Tickets: 10-100 yuan (US$1-12)

Time/date: 2 pm or 7:30 pm, July 20-August 28

Location: mainly in the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Zhongshan Park, some in Peking University Hall in Haidian District and in the China Puppet Art Theatre and Poly Theatre

Tel: 6506-5343, 6506-5345

F. Beautiful timbre: Jasmine Leong will meet her Beijing fans next month. Singing with beautiful timbre, Leong will present a series of love stories to the audience. To highlight the theme of love, 200 sets of lover's tickets, valued at 1800 yuan will be presented.

Tickets: 180-980 yuan (US$22-121)

Time/date: 7:30 pm, September 9

Location: Workers' Gymnasium, Gongti Beilu, Chaoyang District

Tel: 6501-6655

 

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