题目内容
I fell in love with music from a young age and often sat down making a few songs of my own．What would life be like, I wondered, without a beautiful song? In 1992, I made two love songs to my darling wife and watched tears run down her face as I sang．"Sam," she said earnestly, "Your songs should be heard by more people."
She got my ballads and started bothering various media people about me, her singing barber husband．Two radio stations took an interest and played the songs．After the programme was aired, I became known in our community as the Singing Barber．
The biggest surprise, however, was still to come．I received a call from a music promoter who offered me a long-term recording contract．He explained that he would be investing a lot of money to market my songs．I needed to be wholly focused on selling my records all over Australia．
But I hesitated．
My friends all told me to go for it．And Mary also thought I should do．"Go, Sam．I'll manage with the family．．．it'll be OK．"
I watched my daughter and son playing in the backyard．Soon they would both be in high school．．．and where would I be? I was so used to my family turning to me for love and support．If I were to start a singing career, I would not only miss them terribly, I'd also certainly miss out on watching them grow up．Signing this contract would put a huge gap between my family and me．．．and I couldn't bear it．My family was my life．So I refused the music promoter's offer．I'm still making music, I'm rich in love and I have no regrets．
【小题1】When the author was offered the contract, most of his friends _____．
| A．envied him | B．laughed at him | C．encouraged him | D．didn't believe him |
| A．Because his wife was strongly against it． |
| B．Because the pay was not attractive enough． |
| C．Because he wanted to care about his two kids． |
| D．Because he didn't want his family life damaged． |
| A．used to be a country singer |
| B．preferred his present life |
| C．went on the road to fame |
| D．regretted giving up his contract |
| A．One should know himself． |
| B．Interest is the best teacher． |
| C．Family should come first． |
| D．Every dog has its day． |
【小题1】C
【小题2】D
【小题3】B
【小题4】C
解析
I fell in love with England because it was quaint (古雅)—all those little houses, looking terribly old-fashioned but nice, like dolls’ houses. I loved the countryside and the pubs, and I loved London. I’ve slightly changed my mind after seventeen years because I think it’s an ugly town now.
Things have changed. For everybody, England meant gentlemen, fair play, and good manners. The fair play is going, unfortunately, and so are the gentlemanly attitudes and good manners—people shut doors heavily in your face and politeness is disappearing.
I regret that there are so few comfortable meeting places. You’re forced to live indoors. In Paris I go out much more, to restaurants and nightclubs. To meet friends here it usually has to be in a pub, and it can be difficult to go there alone as a woman. The cafes are not terribly nice.
As a woman, I feel unsafe here. I spend a bomb on taxis because I will not take public transport after 10 p. m. I used to use it, but now I’m afraid.
The idea of family seems to be more or less non-existent in England. My family is well united and that’s typically French. In Middlesex I had a neighbour who is 82 now. His family only lived two miles away, but I took him to France for Christmas once because he was always alone.
【小题1】The writer doesn’t like London because she ______.
| A．has lived there for seventeen years |
| B．prefers to live in an old-fashioned house |
| C．is not used to the life there now |
| D．has to be polite to everyone she meets there |
| A．In a pub. | B．In a cafe. | C．In a restaurant. | D．In a nightclub. |
| A．had never been to France | B．was from a typical French family |
| C．didn't like the British idea of family | D．felt lonely in England |
I did very badly at school. My headmaster thought I was 1 and when I was 14 he said, “You’re never going to be 2 but a failure.”
After five years of 3 jobs, I fell in love with a very nice middle-class girl. It was the best 4 that could have happened to me. I 5 I wanted to do something positive (积极地) with my life because I wanted to prove to 6 that what people said about me was 7 . Especially her mother, who had said to me, “Let’s 8 it, you’ve failed at everything you’ve ever done.” So I tried hard with my 9 and went to college. My first novel (小说) 10 while I was at college.
`After college I taught during the 11 in high schools and attended evening classes at London University, where I got a 12 in history. I became a lecturer at a college and was thinking of 13 that job to write full time 14 I was offered a part-time job at Leeds University. I began to feel proud of myself — 15 was a working-class boy who’d 16 school early, now teaching at the university
My writing career (职业) took off when I discovered my own style. Now I’m rich and 17 , have been on TV, and met lots of film stars. 18 what does it mean? I 19 wish all the people that have put me down had 20 : “I believe in you. You’ll succeed.”
|
1. |
|
|
2. |
|
|
3. |
|
|
4. |
|
|
5. |
|
|
6. |
|
|
7. |
|
|
8. |
|
|
9. |
|
|
10. |
|
|
11. |
|
|
12. |
|
|
13. |
|
|
14. |
|
|
15. |
|
|
16. |
|
|
17. |
|
|
18. |
|
|
19. |
|
|
20. |
|