George Gershwin, born in 1898, was one of America’s greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs. Many of Gershwin’s songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz, some people asked, be considered serious music? In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time, he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-­famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928, Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger, but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-­influenced style. While there, Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed, critics were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life, to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937, just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty ­nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

1.Many of Gershwin’s musical works were________.

A. written about New Yorkers

B. composed for Paul Whiteman

C. performed in various ways

D. played mainly in the countryside

2.What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman?

A. It proved jazz could be serious music.

B. It attracted more people to theatres.

C. It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.

D. It caused a debate among jazz musicians.

3.What do we learn from the last paragraph?

A. Many of Gershwin’s works were lost.

B. A concert was held in memory of Gershwin.

C. The death of Gershwin was widely reported.

D. Brain cancer research started after Gershwin’s death.

4.Which of the following best describes Gershwin?

A. Serious and boring. B. Talented and productive.

C. Popular and unhappy. D. Friendly and honest.

Visitor Oyster cards are electronic smartcards that come fully charged with credit. Whether you're making a one-off trip to London or you’re a regular visitor, using an Oyster travel smartcard is the easiest way to travel around the city's public transport network. Simply touch the card on the yellow card reader at the doors when you start and end your journey.

Advantages of a Visitor Oyster Card

A Visitor Oyster card is one of the cheapest ways to pay for single journeys on the bus, Tube, DLR, tram, London Over-ground and most National Rail services in London:

● Save time----your card is ready to use as soon as you arrive in London.

● It's more than 50% cheaper than buying a paper travel card or single tickets with cash.

● There is a daily price cap----once you have reached this limit, you won’t pay any more.

● Enjoy special offers and promotions at leading London restaurants, shops and entertainment venues----plus discounts on the Emirates Air Line cable car and Thames Clippers river buses.

Buy a Visitor Oyster card

Buy a Visitor Oyster card before you visit London and get it delivered to your home address. A card costs £3 (non-refundable) plus postage. Order online and arrive with your Oyster in hand! You can also buy a Visitor Oyster card from Gatwick Express ticket offices at Gatwick Airport Station and on board Eurostar trains travelling to London.

Add Credit to Your Visitor Oyster Card

You can choose how much credit to add to your card. If you are visiting London for two days, you can start with £20 credit. If you run out of credit, add credit at the following locations:

● Touch screen ticket machines in Tube, DLR, London Over-ground and some National Rail stations.

● Around 4,000 Oyster Ticket Stops found in newsagents and small shops across London.

● TFL Visitor and Travel Information Centers.

● Tube and London Over-ground station ticket offices.

● Emirates Air Line terminals.

1.When can you use your Visitor Oyster Card?

A. After you become a regular visitor.

B. Only when you end your journey.

C. Once you arrive in London.

D. Before you leave home.

2.What can we learn about the Visitor Oyster card?

A. It can reach you before your journey to London.

B. It requires you to pay as much as the daily price cap.

C. It can provide you a 50% discount at a London shop.

D. It can be delivered to your home address free of charge.

3.Where can you add credit to your Visitor Oyster card?

A. On the Internet.

B. At a Tube station ticket office.

C. On Eurostar trains.

D. At Gatwick Express ticket offices.

完形填空,阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Can birds understand people’s love and even express their appreciation?

Gabi Mann,an 8-year-old teenager,has some very ________ “friends”who shower her with gifts almost every day.Ever since she started feeding her neighborhood crows(乌鸦),they began returning the ________ and bringing back all kinds of ________

Gabi’s________ relationship with the neighborhood crows ________ in 2011 when she was four and she was ________o drop food to them.Soon,the crows were always watching for her,________ to get a bite of the food she dropped.________ she got older,she began to ________ them consciously—she would share her________ with them on the way to the bus stop.It wasn’t long before crows were lining up in the afternoon to ________ her at the stop.

In2013,Gabi started feeding the birds ________ ,instead of sharing her lunch with them.Along with her family,she ________ fill the bowl in the backyard with water every day,cover the bird feeder platforms with peanuts and throw handfuls of dog food on to the grass.Soon,the crows ________ line up on the telephone lines in the backyard, ________ for their treats.

________,once Gabi adopted this routine,she ________ something wonderful—the crows started ________ her with gifts! Gabi has ________every small gift that the crows have given her,including a tiny silver ball,a blue plastic brick,a small piece of colored glass,and other such things.Each item is individually wrapped and,they’re obviously of great________ to Gabi.

1.A.patient B.unusual C.common D.impolite

2.A.favor B.duty C.service D.profit

3.A.food B.gifts C.birds D.fruit

4.A.unique B.difficult C.serious D.formal

5.A.continued B.existed C.began D.failed

6.A.afraid B.nervous C.careful D.willing

7.A.deciding B.hoping C.promising D.pretending

8.A.Although B.Because C.As D.Since

9.A.feed B.observe C.catch D.choose

10.A.time B.supper C.experience D.1unch

11.A.attract B.greet C.disturb D.inform

12.A.properly B.regularly C.casually D.easily

13.A.must B.should C.would D.might

14.A.deliberately B.particularly C.firmly D.automatically

15.A.preparing B.1earing C.waiting D.heading

16.A.Believe it or not B.For example C.Sooner or later D.As usual

17.A.understood B.remembered C.created D.witnessed

18.A.honoring B.thanking C.awarding D.reminding

19.A.bought B.exchanged C.collected D.offered

20.A.help B.value C.care D.grief

阅读下面短文,从短文后各题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

At the end of 2014, Tulsa, Oklahoma, sixth?grade teacher Melissa Bour received a friend ____ on Facebook from one of her students. She didn’t accept the request, but a quick browse through the girl’s friends list revealed the names of dozens of kids from her ____. Many of the students’ Facebook pages were completely ____, meaning even strangers could ____ the kids’ personal photos and messages.

“I saw middle fingers, students dressed inappropriately, and extremely ____ language,” Melissa says. “It was ____.” When she brought up her ____ in class, the students were not ____ at all. So she created a ____ of her own. With a bright green marker pen, she wrote on a piece of paper: “Dear Facebook: my 12?year?old students think it is ‘no ____’ that they are posting pictures of themselves... Please help me show them how ____ their images can get around.” She put a picture of the letter on her Facebook page and asked people to ____ it.

In hours, it was shared 108,000 times across dozens of states and four countries. She ____ it after eight hours, but it continued to spread. “I wanted to ____ them that it’s on the Internet forever,” she says.

As she explained the results of her ____ in class, the students’ eyes got bigger and bigger. “It scared a few of them into deleting their pages ____,” she says. Others have removed inappropriate posts and used privacy settings to ____ their pages.

Her ____ wasn’t to scare them off social media but to push them to be ____ of what they post. Melissa says, “I tell them, ‘It doesn’t ____ you have to just because everyone else is sharing.’”

1.A. invitation B. demand C. order D. request

2.A. family B. college C. classroom D. company

3.A. public B. famous C. secret D. unknown

4.A. watch over B. search through C. hold back D. hand in

5.A. proper B. polite C. simple D. rude

6.A. despairing B. comforting C. disturbing D. exciting

7.A. result B. discovery C. suggestion D. wish

8.A. worried B. satisfied C. pleased D. disappointed

9.A. post B. picture C. article D. news

10.A. need B. big idea C. wonder D. big deal

11.A. urgently B. quickly C. slowly D. badly

12.A. know B. deliver C. share D. say

13.A. prevented B. kept C. copied D. deleted

14.A. promise B. persuade C. show D. ask

15.A. experiment B. lesson C. study D. research

16.A. only B. completely C. recently D. hardly

17.A. display B. create C. manage D. print

18.A. mention B. intention C. question D. imagination

19.A. mindful B. fearful C. skilful D. thoughtful

20.A. matter B. work C. count D. mean

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