阅读理解

Let's Talk Music!

Dear Li Ming,

  Hi, my name is Brianne. I am a friend of Jenny's. Jenny tells me you are thinking about starting guitar lessons. She suggested that I write to you because I have taken many kinds of music lessons. I am happy to talk to you about my favourite topic:music.

  I am sending the CD of my favourite singer. I hope you enjoy it. I listen to this music every day on the radio and I thought you might like it, too. Bryan Adams is very popular here. Have you ever heard of him? He's great! How about in China? When I take the school bus each day, I like to bring my “Discman” so that I can listen to music while I am going to school. It is important that students be happy on the bus, don't you think? I love many kinds of music and I think music is very important in life.  Music has been a part of my life since I was young. When I was only four, I started taking violin lessons. We had many music parties and concerts. Then as I got older, I play the piano, and eventually joined the band at school and started playing the saxophone. That's when I learned to appreciate jazz music. Now,even though I like listening to popular music, I also love playing music.

  Once I learned to play sax, and fell in love with jazz music, I wanted to sing. So now I am taking guitar lessons. I absolutely love it! It's easier to sing when you have a guitar to keep you “on key”. I'm surprised at how easy it is. I recommend you start your lessons right away and I'm sure that you will learn very quickly. Someday maybe we will be able to play together. Wouldn't that be fun?

  Lately, I've been thinking about how important music is. In Canada we sometimes say, “Music is the language of the soul.” I think this is true because when I play music, I can experience emotions and express parts of myself that I can't really talk about in words. Do you know what I mean, Li Ming? Have you ever had this experience? Whether I'm feeling down, or having the best time, music always makes the day better.

  Actually, I can think of one day, years ago, when music didn't make my day better. I was playing in a piano concert with three of my friends. We were in this fancy hall with a baby grand piano on the stage and two judges sitting in the audience. I was terrified! It was the first time I had to know my song by memory. My first friend went up and played her song; the audience clapped and she returned to her seat. She had played beautifully. My second friend also played well. Then the judges called my name. I had butterflies in my stomach and a lump in my throat as I slowly walked up to the stage. I began to play.

  About halfway through the song, I completely forgot the notes! I stopped playing, and then started again at the beginning, but when I got to the same place, I forgot the notes again. This time I stopped and looked up at the audience and saw one of the judges slowly walking up to the stage to bring me the music book. I have never been so embar-rassed in all my life! By the way, I didn't win the competition.

  Whenever I remember this story, I laugh. It doesn't seem so tragic now. Don't let it scare you. Most of my memories of music are good ones, and I don't ever want to stop playing instruments and listening to good music. Pop music, classical music, jazz or even country music, I enjoy them all.

  So, Li Ming, I strongly recommend that you take the guitar lessons. Please let me know how it turns out. I hope you enjoy this gift of music. I would like to know what you think about music. What kind of music do you listen to?

Your new friend,

Brianne

(1)When Brianne says “when I play music, I can... express parts of myself that I can't really talk about in words,” it means “_____”.

[  ]

A.words are powerless in expressing oneself

B.music is sometimes more expressive and powerful than words

C.I'm a poor writer but a good musician

D.I can't express myself in words but can express myself by playing music

(2)Brianne is a friend of Jenny's. Why did she write a letter to Li Ming?

[  ]

A.She wanted to make friends with her.

B.She wanted to teach her guitar.

C.She wanted to make some suggestions on music lessons.

D.She wanted to think highly of music.

(3)Which of the following statements is TRUE?

[  ]

A.Brianne is a music fan.

B.Brianne doesn't want Li Ming to take the guitar lessons.

C.Music makes Brianne any day better.

D.Brianne gave Li Ming some advice on the guitar lessons.

(4)Why didn't Brianne win the competition?

[  ]

A.She didn't practise a lot.

B.She was too nervous to remember the notes.

C.She didn't know the judges.

D.The music that she played was too difficult.

阅读理解

  I began reading words when I was eight months old.By the time I was two, I had read Charlotte’s Web.My parents thought it was odd, but because I didn’t have any siblings for them to compare me with, they didn’t realise just how odd.

  At pre-school in Northport, New York, I quickly overtook everyone.At seven, I was going into high school for my classes but still doing all my social activities with kids my age.But when I was nine, the public school administration said that I had to go to high school full-time with 16-year-olds.I didn’t want to, because some kids there were always teasing me -it was pretty horrible when they called me a know-it-all and tried to grab my homework.

  My parents tried to find me another school but, in the end, because I was so advanced, the only place that was on the same level as me was State University of New York at Stony Brook.

  The admissions people said that if I thought I could manage I could have a place, as long as my mother accompanied me to classes.

  So, aged 10, I started an undergraduate degree in applied mathematics.I was frightened on my first day, but I was also excited that I was going to attend my first real physics class.Most of the teachers were nice but one or two didn’t like me.One professor said that just because I did as well as the other, male, students, it didn’t mean I was as good as them.But the students were supportive and my parents always made sure that I had a group of friends of my own age; they didn’t want me to be a social misfit.

  I graduated summa cum laude(with the highest honor)when I was 14 -the youngest student ever to do so in the US.

  I was a perfectionist; I don’t think I would have settled for less than that.I went on to Drexel University and, at 17, I was awarded a Master’s and continued to study for a Ph.D.

  But that was when I grew disillusioned with the science world.I saw bad conduct and realised that some professors weren’t motivated by a love of science.I fell out with the adviser who was supervising my Ph.D.I charged Drexel University in a civil lawsuit and the case has now gone into private, binding arbitration(仲裁).

  I believe my adviser applied for grants and patents using my ideas, and took credit for them.He denies this and has accused me of stealing his work.Even though the university has cleared me of plagiarism(剽窃)it has still refused to award me my Ph.D.

  At the time I was fully expecting to receive my PhD, I applied for a post teaching advanced technology fusion at Konkuk university in Seoul.When I was appointed, I was just under 19, so I made it into Guinness World Records.

  In South Korea, I was treated as a minor celebrity.People stared at me wherever I went on campus, and I was asked to give inspirational talks to teenagers.But I didn’t renew my contract:I’d had a great year, but I wanted to come home.

  I still don’t have my PhD and I am angry and disappointed about that.I worked so hard all my life and my research ended up going nowhere.

  There’s always hope, but the experience at Drexel has derailed me.If a university gave me a place to complete my studies, I would take it.But I am someone who is suing her former university, so a lot of colleges are afraid to touch me.

  For now, I’m enrolled in law school and training to be a lawyer.I want to combine legal and science knowledge so that I can protect people’s research rights.

  It’s strange being back at school:I’m 21 years old and for the first time in my life, I’m the same age as the other students.

(1)

The underlined word “siblings” in the first paragraph probably means _________.

[  ]

A.

children

B.

friends

C.

classmates

D.

brothers or sisters

(2)

How would the author describe her high school experience?

[  ]

A.

sweet

B.

awful

C.

boring

D.

pleasant

(3)

When the author attended State University of New York, _________.

[  ]

A.

all the professors liked her

B.

the students there were friendly to her

C.

her mother expected her to make friends with her classmates

D.

she became the youngest graduate in the USA

(4)

The underlined sentence “But that was when I was disillusioned with the science world” suggests that the author _________.

[  ]

A.

felt disappointed with what some scientists do

B.

grew old enough to be a scientist

C.

was treated as a real scientist

D.

became motivated by a love of science

(5)

What probably made it difficult for her to be admitted by another university other than Drexel?

[  ]

A.

Her GPA

B.

Her performances at Konkuk university in Seoul

C.

Her relationship with Drexel University

D.

She was accused of plagiarism by her supervisor

(6)

How does the writer feel when she was writing this passage?

[  ]

A.

proud and frustrated

B.

excited and angry

C.

calm and satisfied

D.

excited and disappointed

Dear Kind-Trustee-Who-Sends-Orphans-to-College,
Here I am! I traveled yesterday for four hours in a train.It’s a funny feeling, isn’t it? I never rode in one before.
College is the biggest, most puzzling place—I get lost whenever I leave my room. I will write you a description later when I'm feeling less confused; also I will tell you about my lessons. Classes don't begin until Monday morning, and this is Saturday night. But I wanted to write a letter first just to get acquainted.
It seems strange to be writing letters to somebody you don't know. It seems strange for me to be writing letters at all—I've never written more than three or four in my life, so please overlook it if these are not a model kind.
Before leaving yesterday morning, Mrs. Lippett and I had a very serious talk. She told me how to behave all the rest of my life, and especially how to behave towards the kind gentleman who is doing so much for me. I must take care to be very respectful.
But how can one be very respectful to a person who wishes to be called John Smith? Why couldn't you have picked out a name with a little personality? I might as well write letters to Dear Flagpole or Dear Clothes-line.
I have been thinking about you a great deal this summer; having somebody take an interest in me after all these years makes me feel as though I had found a sort of family. It seems as though I belonged to somebody now, and it's a very comfortable feeling. I must say, however, that when I think about you, my imagination has very little to work upon. There are just three things that I know: I, You are tall. Ⅱ. You are rich. Ⅲ. You hate girls.
I suppose I might call you Dear Mr. Girl-Hater. Only that's rather rude to me. Or Dear Mr. Rich-Man, but that's rude to you, as though money were the only important thing about you. Besides, being rich is such a very external quality. Maybe you won't stay rich all your life; lots of very clever men get broke in Wall Street. But at least you will stay tall all your life! So I've decided to call you Dear Daddy-Long-Legs. I hope you won't mind. It's just a private pet name we won't tell Mrs. Lippett.
The ten o'clock bell is going to ring in two minutes. Our day is divided into sections by bells. We eat and sleep and study by bells. It's very lifeful. There it goes! Lights out. Good night.
Observe how precisely I obey rules--due to my training in the John Grier Home.
Yours most respectfully,
Jerusha Abbott
to Mr. Daddy-Long-Legs Smith
【小题1】Jerusha felt “confused” because ______.

A.she had never written to the trustee before
B.she was not familiar with the college yet
C.she could never find the way to her home
D.she had never traveled on a train berore
【小题2】Jerusha thought that she couldn’t be very respectful to “John Smith” because _______.
A.he was a total stranger to her
B.she was sure it was a false identity
C.the name was too common
D.nobody would like to be called that name
【小题3】The fact that her day is “divided into sections by bells” makes Jerusha feel______.
A.busyB.restricted by rulesC.pressed for timeD.full of energy
【小题4】Jerusha decided to call the trustee Dear Daddy-Long-legs______.
A.in order to show her respect for him
B.because it was one of his inner quality
C.in older to make them feel closer to each other
D.because she had always wanted a father

It is a dreadful thing to be poor a fortnight before Christmas, said Clorinda, with the mournful sigh of seventeen years.

Aunt Emmy smiled. Aunt Emmy was sixty, and spent the hours she didnt spend in a bed, on a sofa or in a wheel chair; but Aunt Emmy was never heard to sigh.

“The gifts which money can purchase are not the only ones we can give, said Aunt Emmy gently, nor the best, either.

“Oh, I know it's nicer to give something of your own work,” agreed Clorinda, “but materials for fancy work cost too. That kind of gift is just as much out of the question for me as any other.”

“That was not what I meant,” said Aunt Emmy.

“What did you mean, then?” asked Clorinda, looking puzzled.

Aunt Emmy smiled.

“Suppose you think out my meaning for yourself,” she said. “That would be better than if I explained it. Besides, I don't think I could explain it. Take the beautiful line of a beautiful poem to help you in your thinking out: 'The gift without the giver is bare.

“I'd put it the other way and say, 'The giver without the gift is bare,” said Clorinda. “That is my predicament(窘境)exactly. Well, I hope by next Christmas I'll not be quite bankrupt. I'm going into Mr. Callender's store down at Murraybridge in February. He has offered me the place, you know.”

“Won't your aunt miss you terribly?” said Aunt Emmy gravely. “I think she would rather have your companionship than a part of your salary, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “But of course you must decide for yourself, dear.”

“Well, I must say bye-bye and run home.” Clorinda lived just across the road from Aunt Emmy in a tiny white house behind some huge willows. But Aunt Mary lived there too--the only relative Clorinda had, for Aunt Emmy wasn't really her aunt at all. Clorinda had always lived with Aunt Mary ever since she could remember.

Clorinda puzzled over Aunt Emmy's meaning for days. Then all at once it came to her. On Christmas Day, Clorinda went over to Aunt Emmy's. Aunt Emmy was lying on the sofa before the fire, and Clorinda sat down beside her.

“I've come to tell you all about it,” she said. “Aunt Emmy, I thought for days over your meaning ... And then one evening it just came to me. At first I didn't think I could give some of them, and then I thought how selfish I was. I would have been willing to pay any amount of money for gifts if I had had it, but I wasn't willing to pay what I had. I got over that, though, Aunt Emmy. Now I'm going to tell you what I did give.”

“First, there was old Aunt Kitty. You know she was my nurse when I was a baby. She is always glad when I go to see her, but I've never gone except when I couldn't help it. She is very deaf, and rather dull and stupid, you know. Well, I gave her a whole day. I took my knitting yesterday, and sat with her the whole time and just talked and talked. She was so pleased and proud; she told me when I came away that she hadn't had such a nice time for years. ”

“Then there was ... Florence. You know, Aunt Emmy, we were always intimate friends until last year. Then Florence once told Rose Watson something I had told her in confidence. I found it out and I was so hurt. I couldn't forgive Florence, and I told her plainly I could never be a real friend to her again. Florence felt badly, because she really did love me, and she asked me to forgive her, but it seemed as if I couldn't. Well, Aunt Emmy, that was my Christmas gift to her ... my forgiveness.”

“I gave Aunt Mary her gift this morning. I told her I wasn't going to Murraybridge, that I just meant to stay home with her. She was so glad--and I'm glad, too, now that I've decided so.”

“Your gifts have been real gifts, Clorinda,” said Aunt Emmy. “Something of you--the best of you--went into each of them.”

“I didn't forget you, Aunt Emmy,” she said, as she unpinned the paper.

There was a rosebush. Aunt Emmy loved flowers. She put her finger under one of the roses and kissed it.

“It's as sweet as yourself, dear child,” she said tenderly. “And it will be a joy to me all through the lonely winter days. You've found out the best meaning of Christmas giving, haven't you, dear?”

“Yes, thanks to you, Aunt Emmy,” said Clorinda softly.

1.Clorinda felt anxious before Christmas because___________.

A. She had to leave Aunt Mary

B. She didn’t know what kind of Christmas gifts she should buy

C. She had not enough money to buy Christmas gifts

D. She had no time to make a proper decision

2. Which of the following sentences can best explain the line “The gift without the giver is bare.”

A. A gift is valued by the mind of the giver.

B. Forgiveness is a gift for the giver and the receiver.

C. You cannot buy love or respect with expensive gifts.

D. Think twice before you give gifts to somebody

3.What is the gift that Clorinda gave to old Aunt Kitty?

A. Passion?? ????????????? ????????????? B. Sympathy?? ????????????? ????????????? C. Kindness?? ????????????? ????????????? D. Company

4.What does the underlined phrase “in confidence” mean?

A. respectfully??? ????????????? B. confidently??? ????????????? ????????????? C. secretly??? ????????????? ????????????? D. willingly

5. Which two words can best describe Aunt Emmy?

A. cute and joyful??????????????????? ????????????? B. kind-hearted and emotional

C. optimistic and wise???????????????? ????????????? D. gentle and timid (羞怯的)

6.Which of the following is the best title?

A. A Special Christmas?????????????????? B. Clorinda’s Gifts

C. Aunt Emmy????????????????????????? D. Clorinda’s Choice

 

After forty-three years I have forgotten the name of the old lady, who was a   16   on the newspaper route in my hometown when I was a twelve-year-old boy. Yet it remains in my memory that she taught me a lesson in     17   that I shall never forget.

On a winter afternoon, my fellows and I were throwing stones onto the slanted (倾斜的) roof of the old lady’s house to observe how the stones    18    off the roof’s edge and shot out like missiles. I found a   19   smooth rock and threw it out, but it  20  straight not for the roof but for a small window of the old lady’s house.   21   the sound of broken glass, we knew we were in trouble. We ran faster than any of our   22    flew off her roof.

I was so   23   about getting caught that first night   24   I was not concerned about the old lady with the broken window in winter.    25  , a few days later I started to feel guilty for her misfortune. She    26   greeted me with a smile when I gave her the newspaper, but I was no longer able to act    27   in her presence.

I    28   my mind that I would save my newspaper delivery money, and in three weeks I had seven dollars. I put the money in an envelop with a    29   explaining that I was sorry for breaking her window and hope that the seven dollars would    30   the cost for repairing it.

I waited until it was     31     to avoid being seen, and put the letter I didn’t    32   into her yard. To my relief, I could have the   33  of, once again, looking straight into the old lady’s kind eyes.

The next day, I handed the old lady her newspaper. She thanked me and gave me a bag of cookies she had made herself.   34  eating cookies, I felt an envelope and pulled it out of the bag. After opening it, I was shocked. Inside were the seven dollars and a short note    35  , “I’m proud of you.”

1.                A.teacher        B.customer        C.relative   D.friend

 

2.                A.happiness       B.carelessness     C.forgiveness    D.kindness

 

3.                A.rolled          B.flowed         C.ran  D.floated

 

4.                A.simply          B.mostly          C.fairly D.roughly

 

5.                A.followed        B.came           C.lay  D.headed

 

6.                A.At             B.On             C.For  D.From

 

7.                A.athletes        B.missiles         C.windows  D.fellows

 

8.                A.excited         B.disappointed     C.embarrassed   D.frightened

 

9.                A.as             B.that            C.when    D.though

 

10.               A.Therefore      B.Meanwhile      C.However  D.Besides

 

11.               A.yet            B.still            C.even D.already

 

12.               A.cautiously       B.constantly       C.cheerfully D.comfortably

 

13.               A.take up         B.made up        C.set up     D.put up

 

14.               A.paper          B.notice          C.note D.message

 

15.               A.cover          B.offer           C.afford D.pay

 

16.               A.rainy          B.fine            C.cloudy    D.dark

 

17.               A.sign           B.read           C.expect    D.want

 

18.               A.ability          B.freedom        C.chance    D.desire

 

19.               A.Unless         B.Until           C.Because   D.While

 

20.               A.saying          B.writing         C.telling D.explaining

 

 

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