Samuel Osmond is a 19-year-old law student from Cornwall, England. He never studied the piano. However, he can play very difficult musical pieces by musicians such as Chopin and Beethoven just a few minutes after he hears them. He learns a piece of music by listening to it in parts. Then he thinks about the notes in his head. Two years ago, he played his first piece Moonlight Sonata(奏鸣曲)by Beethoven. He surprised everyone around him.

Amazed that he remembered this long and difficult piece of music and played it perfectly, his teachers say Samuel is unbelievable. They say his ability is very rare, but Samuel doesn’t even realize that what he can do is special. Samuel wanted to become a lawyer as it was the wish of his parents, but music teachers told him he should study music instead. Now, he studies law and music.

Samuel can’t understand why everyone is so surprised. “I grew up with music. My mother played the piano and my father played the guitar. About two years ago, I suddenly decided to start playing the piano, without being able to read music and without having any lessons. It comes easily to me ---I hear the notes and can bear them in mind---each and every note,” says Samuel.

Recently, Samuel performed a piece during a special event at his college. The piece had more than a thousand notes. The audience was impressed by his amazing performance. He is now learning a piece that is so difficult that many professional pianists can’t play it. Samuel says confidently,” It’s all about super memory---I guess I have that gift.”

However, Samuel’s ability to remember things doesn’t stop with music. His family says that even when he was a young boy, Samuel heard someone read a story, and then he could retell the story word for word.

Samuel is still only a teenager. He doesn’t know what he wants to do in the future. For now, he is just happy to play beautiful music and continue his studies.

1.What is special about Samuel Osmond?

A. He has a gift for writing music.

B. He can write down the note he hears.

C. He is a top student at the law school.

D. He can play the musical piece he hears.

2.What can we learn from Paragraph 2?

A. Samuel chose law against the wish of his parents.

B. Samuel planned to be a lawyer rather than a musician.

C. Samuel thinks of himself as a man of great musical ability.

D. Samuel studies law and music on the advice of his teachers.

3.Everyone around Samuel was surprised because he _________.

A. received a good early education in music

B. played the guitar and the piano perfectly

C. could play the piano without reading music

D. could play the guitar better than his father

4.What can we infer about Samuel in Paragraph 4?

A. He became famous during a special event at his college.

B. He is proud of his ability to remember things accurately.

C. He plays the piano better than many professional pianists.

D. He impressed the audience by playing all the musical pieces.

5. Which of the following is the best title of the passage?

A. The Qualities of a Musician

B. The Story of a Musical Talent

C. The Importance of Early Education

D. The Relationship between Memory and Music.

We often see hitchhikers(搭便车的人), standing by the side of the road, thumb sticking out, waiting for a lift. But it is getting nowadays. What killed hitchhiking? is often mentioned as a reason. Movies about murderous hitchhikers and real-life crime many drivers off picking up hitchhikers. no single women picked me up on my journey to Manchester reflects the safety fear: , strangely dressed man is seen as dangerous.

But the reason may be complex: hitchhiking happens where people don’t have cars and transport services are . Plenty of people hitchhike in Poland and Romania. Perhaps the rising level of car ownership in the UK means the few people lift hitchhiking are usually considered strange. Why can’t they cars? Why can’t they take the coach or the train?

Three-quarters of the UK population have a car; many of the will be quite old. The potential hitchhiking population is therefore small. my trip proves it’s still possible to hitchhike. The people who picked me up were very interesting lawyer, retired surgeon, tank commander, carpenter, man who live in an isolated farmhouse and a couple in the mountains. My conclusion is that only really interesting people are mad enough to pick up fat blokes(家伙) in red, spotted scarves. Most just wanted to do someone a good turn; a few said they were so surprised to see a hitchhiker that they couldn’t help .

The future of hitchhiking most lies with car-sharing organized over the Internet, via sites such as hitchhikers. org. But for now, you can still stick your thumb out (actually, I didn’t do much of that, just to hold up my destination sign) and people—wonderful, caring, sharing, unafraid people—will stop.

In the UK, with its cheap and reasonable rail service, I don’t think I’ll make a habit of it. But having enjoyed it so much, I’m ready now to do a big trip Europe and beyond. In the 1970s a female friend of my wife’s hitchhiked to India. How wonderful it would be to have another go, Afghanistan might be a challenge. I wish I’d got that tank commander’s mobile number.

1.A.valuable B.hardly C.rare D.little

2.A.Fear B.Safety C.Allowance D.Expense

3.A.has put B.had been put C.has been put D.have put

4.A.What B.Which C.Whether D.That

5.A.no more B.no need C.no reason D.no doubt

6.A.a short B.a clumsy C.a small D.a large

7.A.most B.more C.very D.much

8.A.poor B.heavy C.busy D.convenient

9.A.seldom B.always C.still D.never

10.A.afford B.offer C.affect D.offend

11.A.effect to B.effect on C.access in D.access to

12.A.remain B.rest C.pedestrians D.citizens

13.A.While B.When C.Yet D.Though

14.A.living up B.lived down C.was living up D.was living down

15.A.stopping B.but stop C.stop D.stopped

16.A.likely B.certainly C.positively D.actively

17.A.pretending B.preparing C.preferring D.defending

18.A.vehicles B.coaches C.cars D.helicopters

19.A.across B.through C.for D.over

20.A.as B.though C.because D.when

We all need a healthy environment. , we produce waste every day and it harm to our environment. Though we are young, we can still do to help. In fact, even the simplest everyday activities can make a real to the environment. Here are some ideas for you to live a life.

Remember these three : reduce, reuse and recycle.

Reduce means “use less”. Don't things. This saves money and reduces pollution and waste going into the environment. Before we buy something new, think if it is really or maybe the one will be just as good! When we do buy things, choose local products if possible, and try not to buy too many things from a country.

Reuse means “use again”. Use things for possible. When we buy things, make sure that they a long time. We should take care of them they will last, and we should them if we can instead of throwing them away and buying new ones. Don't use a paper cup or a paper bag. It’s better to use a china cup and a lunch box because you can use them .

Recycle means “change things into something else”. Although it energy to change something into something else, it’s better than things or burning them. Find out can be recycled in your neighborhood and take part in recycling programs. We should also buy made from recycled materials, such as recycled paper, to help save .

1.A. Therefore B. However C. Otherwise D. Besides

2.A. gives B. takes C. causes D. does

3.A. something B. everything C. nothing D. anything

4.A. difference B. mistake C. effect D. help

5.A. busy B. hard C. green D. happy

6.A. letters B. words C. sentences D. lessons

7.A. buy B. produce C. save D. waste

8.A. necessary B. important C. helpful D. useful

9.A. cheap B. expensive C. new D. old

10.A. rich B. developed C. foreign D. poor

11.A. as soon as B. as long as C. as much as D. as well as

12.A. use B. last C. keep D. live

13.A. so that B. if C. because D. though

14.A. sell B. lend C. throw D. repair

15.A. less B. more C. again D. better

16.A. costs B. spends C. takes D. pays

17.A. throwing away B. putting away C. taking away D. giving away

18.A. that B. which C. what D. how

19.A. cups B. bags C. boxes D. products

20.A. money B. trees C. paper D. time

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