Most people watching Jeremy Lin these past two months saw Jeremy Lin, New York Knicks star; but I, watching him, saw someone else. That was my elder brother, Bob, who is athletic and energetic. He could never sit still when he was in second grade; he had to get up every now and then and run around the room. And sure enough, he grew up to be a starting player for an N.C.A.A. championship lacrosse(长曲棍球)team. He was a Nike-endorsed marathoner, too, and reached the top of Mt. Everest, unguided, in his 50s.
And yet my family never watched his lacrosse games. We did watch some of his marathons, but that wasn’t until he was in his 20s. When Bob was in his glory days, our Shanghainese-born parents were bent on getting him into medical school. There was a loving aspect to it: I can remember my father working through math books with him, lesson by lesson, at the big blackboard in the attic. Bob never did become a doctor, though; and neither did I. It wasn’t until my younger sister came along that someone in the family finally wore a white coat.
Bob today could be the fittest 58-year-old on the planet. His doctor estimates his biological age at 35; he’s still climbing big mountains in the Himalayas. And, like Jeremy Lin, he’s charming. No one sees Bob without leaving with a laugh. He sometimes jokes he could be mayor of his building, and it’s true. To know him is to cheer for him.
And yet my parents did not cheer for him. What if my mother had sat on the sidelines with her statistics, like Jeremy Lin’s mother? What if my father had played videos of athletes for my brother to watch and imitate? It’s hard not to wonder.
And how did Jeremy Lin’s parents manage to do these remarkable things? Amy Chua, the tiger mother, recalls her immigrant father beating the kids whenever they mispronounced a Chinese word. How is it that Jeremy Lin’s immigrant father in particular, Gie-Ming Lin, encouraged his son to follow such an untraditional path?
【小题1】Bob’s glory days were those ________.

A.when he was doing well in math
B.when he was in second grade
C.when he was made mayor of his building
D.when he showed his talents in sports
【小题2】From the passage we can tell that Bob is ____________.
A.active and optimistic
B.clever and determined
C.brave and helpful
D.considerate and independent
【小题3】Which of the following statements is probably TRUE?
A.Bob was always ignored by his parents
B.Bob could also have been a sport star.
C.Bob’s parents often watched his games.
D.Nobody in the author’s family was a doctor.
【小题4】From the last two paragraphs we can infer that ___________.
A.parents should always study together with their children
B.parents should know how to educate their children properly
C.children should be punished when they do anything wrong
D.children should try to live up to the hopes of their parents

Jack Benny was one of the most famous names in show business.He was born in ChicagoIllinoison February 14th,1894.His parentsMeyer and Emma Kubelskywere religious Jews.They had moved to the United States from Eastern Europe.Benny was a quiet boy.For much of the timehis parents were busy working in his father’s store.As a childBenny learned to play the violin.After finishing his schoolhe joined the Navy.He continued using his violin to perform for sailors.In one show he was chosen more for his funny jokes than for his skill with the violin.That experience made him believe that his future job was a comedian.

Benny developed a show personality that had all the qualities people dislike.He was known for being so stingy—he refused to spend any money unless forced to do so.On his shows Benny often spoke of his appearanceespecially his baby blue eyes.As he grew olderhe always claimed to be 39 years old.Benny rarely made jokes that hurt other people.Insteadhe would let the other actors on the show tell jokes about him.

In real lifehe was very giving and he was a person people liked having as their employer.Benny entered the new media of television in 1950.Five years laterhe dropped his radio programme to spend more time developing his television show.At first his appearances on television were rare.By 1960 the Benny Show was a weekly television programme.It continued until 1965.Benny appeared in about twenty films during his life.A few became popular.But most were not.In 1963 Benny returned to Broadway for the first time since 1931.

Benny received many awards during his lifetime.Perhaps the one honour that pleased him most was that his hometown of Waukeegan named a school for him.This was a special honour for a man who had never finished high school.

Benny continued to perform.He died of cancer in 1974.At his funeral his friend Bob Hope said“Jack Benny was stingy to the end.He gave us only eighty years.”

1.Benny was determined to be a comedian after he ______.

Aleft high school

Bjoined the Navy

Cperformed in a show for the sailors

Dleft the Navy for Broadway

2.The underlined word “stingy” in Paragraph 2 can be replaced by “________”

Aclever? Bmean

Coutgoing? Dhard?working

3. According to the texton Benny’s showshe ________.

Adeveloped a good personality

Bplayed the violin skillfully

Coften referred to his appearance

Dsaid funny things that hurt others

4. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Benny?

AHe did a good job in show business.

BHis first appearance on TV was very successful.

CMost of his films became well?known to Americans.

DHe treated all his awards as nothing.

 

Listening to music can help me focus better. Since I discovered it two years ago, I’ve used music to get through boring work or to focus creatively. I’ve found that it can make even the dullest jobs enjoyable and help clear mental blocks to creativity.
I first noticed the good effects of music while playing video games. It was a few days before Christmas in 2005 and I was playing online video games. My parents had just given me a new MP3, so I decided to listen to music through the headphones while I played. After a few minutes I noticed a great change in my style of play. I was playing more naturally. The music relaxed me, and, to a certain extent, distracted me from the game, allowing my subconscious (潜意识的) talent to come through. The music also helped me block out the outside world. With those headphones on I was like a machine, moving from one task to the next without unnecessary thoughts or actions.
Music can also have a great effect on mood. If I’m in a bad mood at work, I’ll listen to some of Bob Marley’s and get down to business. It always takes my mind off what I’m doing and makes me a happier person. The same is true for classic rock. One summer, I did a boring job collecting bottle openers by hand. Without a radio playing classic rock in the background, I would have hated life.
Listening to music with relaxing rhythms and a positive message helps you forget your work and think happy thoughts. But the results you see will depend heavily on your personal tastes. Experiment with the types of music you listen to during certain tasks. By trial and error you’ll finally discover your best choice. I’m always looking for new concentration aids, so I’d love to know what type of music works best for me.

  1. 1.

    We can infer that the passage was written in __________.

    1. A.
      2005
    2. B.
      2006
    3. C.
      2007
    4. D.
      2008
  2. 2.

    The author first discovered the effects of music __________.

    1. A.
      from his parents
    2. B.
      by chance
    3. C.
      at work
    4. D.
      when he was a child
  3. 3.

    Which of the following statements is NOT an effect of music for the author?

    1. A.
      It helps him block out the outside world.
    2. B.
      It arouses his subconscious talent.
    3. C.
      It helps his mind relax.
    4. D.
      It makes him work without any thought.
  4. 4.

    The author mentions the experience of collecting bottle openers in Paragraph 3 to ________.

    1. A.
      tell us that life is dull
    2. B.
      prove that music affects mood
    3. C.
      tell us how to seek happiness
    4. D.
      tell us bad mood can affect work
  5. 5.

    In order to get the greatest effect of music, you are advised to ________.

    1. A.
      listen to some of Bob Marley’s
    2. B.
      only choose relaxing music
    3. C.
      test all kinds of music
    4. D.
      listen to classic rock

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