The French word renaissance means rebirth. It was first used in 1855 by the historian Jules Michelet in his History of France, and then adopted by historians of culture, by art historians, and eventually by music historians, all of whom applied it to European culture during the 150 years spanning 1450-1600. The concept of rebirth was appropriate to this period of European history because of the renewed interest in ancient Greek and Roman culture that began in Italy and then spread throughout Europe. Scholars and artists of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries wanted to restore the learning and ideals of the classical civilizations of Greece and Rome. To these scholars this meant a return to human—as opposed to spiritual-values. Fulfillment in life—as opposed to concern about an afterlife—became a desirable goal, and expressing the entire range of human emotions and enjoying the pleasures of the senses were no longer frowned on (不赞同). Artists and writers now turned to secular (非宗教的) as well as religious subject matter and sought to make their works understandable and appealing.
These changes in outlook deeply affected the musical culture of the Renaissance period—how people thought about music as well as the way music was composed, experienced, discussed, and disseminated. They could see the architectural monuments, sculptures, plays, and poems that were being rediscovered, but they could not actually hear ancient music—although they could read the writings of classical philosophers, poets, essayists, and music theorists that were becoming available in translation. They learned about the power of ancient music to move the listener and wondered why modern music did not have the same effect. For example, the influential religious leader Bernardino Cirillo expressed disappointment with the learned music of his time. He urged musicians to follow the example of the sculptors, painters, architects, and scholars who had rediscovered ancient art and literature. The musical Renaissance in Europe was more a general cultural movement and state of mind than a specific set of musical techniques. Furthermore, music changed so rapidly during this century and a half—though at different rates in different countries—that we cannot define a single Renaissance style

  1. 1.

    What is the passage mainly about?

    1. A.
      The musical compositions that best illustrate the developments during the European Renaissance
    2. B.
      The musical techniques that were in use during the European Renaissance
    3. C.
      The European Renaissance as a cultural development that included changes in musical style
    4. D.
      The ancient Greek and Roman musical practices used during the European Renaissance
  2. 2.

    According to the passage, Renaissance artists and writers had all of the following intentions EXCEPT _______

    1. A.
      to use religious themes
    2. B.
      to express only the pleasant parts of human experience
    3. C.
      to produce art that people would find attractive
    4. D.
      to create works that were easily understood
  3. 3.

    The word "disseminated" in paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to _______

    1. A.
      played
    2. B.
      documented
    3. C.
      spread
    4. D.
      ignored
  4. 4.

    What can be inferred about the music of ancient Greece and Rome?

    1. A.
      It expressed different ideals than classical sculpture, painting and poetry
    2. B.
      It was played on instruments that are familiar to modern audiences
    3. C.
      It had the same effect on Renaissance audiences as it had when originally performed
    4. D.
      Its effect on listeners was described in a number of classical texts

Scientists know of more than 1,000 volcanoes on the surface of Venus, Earth’s “sister” planet. A big question has been: Are they still active? The scientists say yes.
Their evidence for recent volcanic activity on Venus comes from a lava(熔岩) flow in the planet’s northern hemisphere. The flow is hotter than the rocks around, which means the lava might still be cooling off. “The flow we studied seems to be very young---it is still warm inside,” Nataliya Bondarenko said.
Venus is a difficult planet to study from Earth because it is surrounded by thick clouds. Telescopes on Earth can’t see through these clouds, so the best information about Venus comes from spacecraft orbiting it.
Bondarenko and her colleagues studied the lava flow using data from NASA’s Magellan mission. That spacecraft spent four years in orbit around Venus and used radar to make a map of 98 percent of the planet’s surface. On October 11th, 1994, the mission ended, and the spacecraft plunged (跌落) through Venus’ heavy cloud cover and crashed onto the planet below.
While in orbit, the Magellan craft sent microwaves, which can go through Venus’ clouds, to the surface. Microwaves are invisible and can be as long as three feet. These waves are a kind of energy, like light. And like light, they bounce off surfaces. The way the waves bounced off the Venus’ surface and back to the craft supplied information that the scientists used to estimate the temperature of various parts of the planet’s surface. Bondarenko’s team found that the lava flow was hotter than its surroundings---which may mean the lava flow is in the process of cooling.
The scientists say the lava flow can’t be very old because if it were, it would have cooled off enough that Magellan wouldn’t have noticed the difference in microwaves. She adds that the flow appears in a 1978 view of the surface that a craft called the Pioneer Venus Orbiter captured

  1. 1.

    What happened to Magellan in the end?

    1. A.
      It was floating in space forever
    2. B.
      It flew into heavy clouds
    3. C.
      It returned to the Earth
    4. D.
      It fell onto Venus
  2. 2.

    How could Bondarenko judge the temperature of the Venus?

    1. A.
      By looking at it with a powerful telescope
    2. B.
      By measuring the thickness of clouds over Venus
    3. C.
      By calculating the microwave bouncing off Venus’s surface
    4. D.
      By orbiting Venus for 4 years in a spacecraft
  3. 3.

    The best title for the passage may be “______ ”

    1. A.
      Warm lava on Venus
    2. B.
      More volcanic eruptions on Venus
    3. C.
      Venus is just like a big active volcano
    4. D.
      Lava flows are first found on Venus

Come for Dinner by Leslie Revsin
Make every meal a feast and every moment with loved ones an occasion with Come for Dinner. Revsin, the former owner and chef of Manhattan’s Restaurant Leslie, offers a collection of over 150 recipes designed for small get-togethers of friends and family. There are various ethnic dishes that draw from Asia,the Mediterranean, Latin cultures and more. Revsin believes cooking at home provides the opportunity to connect with friends and family on a good level.
Retro Beach Bash by Linda Everett
Grab your beach blanket and your surfboard — it’s time for a beach party! With more than 100 recipes (菜谱) for beach picnics and barbecues, Retro Beach Bash, is the beach lover’s companion for fun in the sun.
Half information and half cookbook, you can browse the pages that are filled with beach fun tips and advice. The second half of this book is a cookbook, complete with delicious picnic and grilled foods to satisfy every taste on the beach.
Entertaining Edibles by Sidney Escowitz
You’ve seen them decorating plates at restaurants, admired them at weddings, and expressed great surprise at the chefs who designed them — and now you can produce them at home.
Sidney shares lots of practical tips that will give your finished food sculptures a professional look and send you on your way towards creating your own original works of food art.
Recipes from a Tapas Bar by Olivier Said
If you’re a fan of Spanish Tapas bars, this book is a must-have for your library. Even if you don’t cook, you’ll still want this book if you’re a fan of Tapas bars, only for the lively discussions of the cheeses of Spain along with other Spanish wines and spirits

  1. 1.

    If you want to prepare a delicious dish for your family at home, you’d better choose _____

    1. A.
      Entertaining Edibles
    2. B.
      Retro Beach Bash
    3. C.
      Recipes from a Tapas Bar
    4. D.
    5. E.
      ome for
    6. F.
      inner
  2. 2.

    Retro Beach Bash tells us _____

    1. A.
      how to make picnics on the beach
    2. B.
      how to repair your surfboard
    3. C.
      how to make Spanish wines
    4. D.
      how to satisfy your taste at home
  3. 3.

    Who can tell you how to make the works of food art?

    1. A.
      Leslie Revsin
    2. B.
      Linda Everett
    3. C.
      Sidney Escowitz
    4. D.
      Olivier Said
  4. 4.

    The books mentioned in the text are mainly about _____

    1. A.
      people
    2. B.
      traveling
    3. C.
      cooking
    4. D.
      sports

No satisfactory way exists to explain how to form a good idea. You think about a problem until you're tired, forget it, maybe sleep on it, and then flash! When you aren't thinking about it, suddenly the answer arrives as a gift from the gods.
Of course, all ideas don't occur like that but so many do, particularly the most important ones. They burst into the mind, glowing with the heat of creation. How they do it is a mystery but they must come from somewhere. Let's assume they come from the "unconscious." This is reasonable, for psychologists use this term to describe mental processes which are unknown to the individual. Creative thought depends on what was unknown becoming known.
All of us have experienced this sudden arrival of a new idea, but it is easiest to examine it in the great creative personalities, many of whom experienced it in an intensified form and have written it down in their life stories and letters. One can draw examples from genius in any field, from religion, philosophy, and literature to art and music, even in mathematics, science, and technical invention, although these are often thought to depend only on logic and experiment. All truly creative activities depend in some degree on these signals from the unconscious, and the more highly insightful the person is, the sharper and more dramatic the signals become.
A type of creative experience is illustrated by the dreams which came to Descartes at the age of twenty-three and determined his life path. Descartes had unsuccessfully searched for certainty, first in the world of books, and then in the world of men. Then in a dream on November 10, 1619, he made the significant discovery that he could only find certainty in his own thoughts, cogito ergo sum ("I think; therefore, I exist"). This dream filled him with intense religious enthusiasm.
Descartes' experience is representative of countless others in every field of culture. The unconscious is certainly the source of instinctive activity. But in creative thought the unconscious is responsible for the production of new organized forms from relatively disorganized elements

  1. 1.

    Good ideas come from ______according to the writer

    1. A.
      the unconscious
    2. B.
      creative activities
    3. C.
      dreams
    4. D.
      logic and experiments
  2. 2.

    The underlined word “these” (paragraph 3) probably refers to______.

    1. A.
      philosophy, music, mathematics and science
    2. B.
      religion, philosophy, literature, art and music
    3. C.
      mathematics, science, and technical invention
    4. D.
      both B and C
  3. 3.

    What point can we see in the example of Descartes ?

    1. A.
      Dreams are the sources of instinctive activities
    2. B.
      Dreams sometimes contribute to important discoveries
    3. C.
      Geniuses have creative thoughts in their dreams
    4. D.
      Important discoveries are always made in dreams
  4. 4.

    The best title for this passage may be______.

    1. A.
      The Unknown Becoming Known
    2. B.
      The Role of Dreams
    3. C.
      The Unconscious and Creative Activities
    4. D.
      Birth of Bright Ideas

There are two types of people in the world.Although they have equal degree of health and wealth and other comforts of life, one becomes happy and the other becomes unhappy.This is because of the different ways in which they consider things, persons, events and the resulting effects upon their minds.
People who are to be happy pay their attention to the good side of things: the pleasant parts of conversation, the well prepared dishes, the goodness of the wine and the fine weather.They enjoy all the cheerful things.Those who are to be unhappy think and speak only of the opposite things.Therefore, they are continually dissatisfied.By their remarks, they sour the pleasure of society, hurt many people, and make themselves disagreeable everywhere.The habit may be strong, but it may be cured when those who have it realize its bad effects on their interests and tastes.I hope this little warning may help them change this habit.
Although in fact it is chiefly an act of the imagination, it has serious results in life since it brings on deep sorrow and bad luck.Nobody loves them, and no one treats them with more than the most common politeness and respect.This frequently puts them in bad temper and draws them into arguments.they should change their bad habits .If they do not, it will be good for others to avoid any contact with them.Otherwise, it can be disagreeable and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one becomes mixed up in their quarrels.

  1. 1.

    People who are unhappy _______.

    1. A.
      always consider things differently from others
    2. B.
      usually are affected by the results of certain things
    3. C.
      usually misunderstand what others think or say
    4. D.
      always discover the unpleasant side of certain things
  2. 2.

    We can conclude from the passage that______.

    1. A.
      we should pity all such unhappy people
    2. B.
      such unhappy people are dangerous to social life
    3. C.
      people can get rid of the habit of unhappiness
    4. D.
      unhappy people can not understand happy persons
  3. 3.

    If such unhappy persons insist on keeping the habit, the author suggests that people should______.

    1. A.
      prevent any communication with them
    2. B.
      show no respect and politeness to them
    3. C.
      persuade them to recognize the bad effects
    4. D.
      quarrel with them until they realize the mistakes

Whether you will be a doctor or a police officer in the future, there’s a teacher in your life. They teach you and help you know who you are? Of course, you want to thank them.
Teachers’ Day is the perfect chance for students around the world to thank their teachers. The festival falls on different days in different countries.
In China, Teachers’ Day is on September 10. But in the US, teachers have a whole week to celebrate. Teacher Appreciation Week is in the first full week of May every year. Kids used to bring apples for their teachers because apples are healthy. Now, they bring gifts with pictures of apples, such as cups, picture frames(框架) and teddy bears. Some students also make DIY gifts for their teachers. During the week, school clubs often offer teachers a free breakfast of coffee and pastries.
The South Korean Teachers’ Day is on May 15. Many students offer flowers to their teachers. Another traditional gift is a card. Thousands of students prepare personalized cards and give them to their favorite teachers.
Although different countries have different Teachers’ Days, there’s one day for the whole world to honor teachers. On October 5 of every year, over 100 countries, such as Canada and the Philippines, express their thanks by celebrating World Teachers’ Day. UNESCO started the day in 1994. It wants to remind people of the importance of teaching.
Only you can make a card like this one
A fingerprint (指纹) card is a good gift on Teachers’ Day
You will need:
●Card
●Pen
●Colorful ink
1. Press your ink-covered finger on a clean card.
2. Use a pen to make your fingerprint into an animal or a robot.
3. Write words like “you are a wonderful teacher,” or “thank you for teaching me” on the card.
Some thank-you notes for great teachers
1. I am lucky to have the best teacher in this world. Wherever I may go in my life, I will always remember that I had an excellent guide...You.
2. You are not only my teacher; you are my friend. I will always be grateful to you for your support and kindness

  1. 1.

    According to the passage, apples used to be a good choice of gifts for Teachers’ Day because     

    1. A.
      students want to wish their teacher good health
    2. B.
      apples are in season on Teachers’ Day
    3. C.
      students want to wish their teacher success
    4. D.
      apples are sweet and cheap
  2. 2.

    More than 100 countries celebrate World Teacher’s Day on         

    1. A.
      October 5
    2. B.
      May 15
    3. C.
      September 10
    4. D.
      May 5
  3. 3.

    During the Teacher Appreciation Week in the US, school clubs often provide teachers with_____________

    1. A.
      a movie ticket
    2. B.
      a free breakfast
    3. C.
      a beautiful card
    4. D.
      a free trip
  4. 4.

    The part of “Only you can make a card like this one” is to tell the readers           

    1. A.
      where to order a beautiful card
    2. B.
      how to make a meaningful DIY card
    3. C.
      what kind of gift is best for teachers
    4. D.
      how to order a teacher’s card online

Lettuce (莴苣)has been eaten for over 4,500 years, and was known to the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. Now, people in some countries start the meal with lettuce as part of a salad. There are hundreds of kinds of lettuce. The main ones include head lettuce, such as iceberg, leaf lettuce ,Boston, bibb and romaine.
Experts say lettuce is one of the easiest crops to grow in your garden. The best time to plant the seeds is during cool weather. The University of Illinois Extension advises that the best planting temperature is 15 0C.
Lettuce seeds are small, so do not place them too deep in the ground. If you plant some seeds every week or two, you will have crops ready to eat one after another.
To start the seeds inside, you can use a seed tray in your home or other shelter. This container should be deep enough to hold at least three centimeters of soil or more. There should be about one centimeter of space between the soil and the top of the container. The container should have holes in the bottom so the extra water can flow out. Drop the seeds over the surface and cover them lightly with soil. If the soil is not already a little wet, give it some water. But do not drown the seeds.
Next, cover the seed tray with paper. When the seedlings have come up far enough to touch the paper, take it off. You can transplant the seedlings into the garden when they are about two to three centimeters tall. Do this when the weather is not too hot and not too cold. Take out as much soil as you can with the seedlings, Then dig a hole in the ground bigger thanthe lettuce roots. Water the plants but not too heavily.
Harvest leaf lettuces when the leaves are big enough to eat. Pull the leaves from the outside of the planting so the inside leaves will keep growing. Or, you can cut off the whole plant. Leave about two or three centimeters above the ground so the plant will re-grow. Cut off head lettuces at ground level.
Lettuce is best when served fresh, so make a salad and enjoy. Experts say lettuce is one of the easiest crops to grow in your garden

  1. 1.

    Which of the following shows the right order of planting lettuces?
    a.Dig a hole in the ground bigger than the lettuce roots.
    b.Drop the seeds over the surface.
    c.Water the plants.
    d.Cover the seed with soil.
    e.Take off the paper.
    f.Transplant the seedlings into the garden

    1. A.
      b, d, e ,f, a, c
    2. B.
      a, b ,c, d ,e, f
    3. C.
      d, e,f, b,a,c
    4. D.
      b,c, d,e,f,a
  2. 2.

    The underlined word “seedlings” in paragraph 5 means______

    1. A.
      containers
    2. B.
      seeds
    3. C.
      young plants
    4. D.
      layers
  3. 3.

    When eating Iettuce5 you’d better ______ so that it tastes best

    1. A.
      store it in plastic bags
    2. B.
      eat the inside leaves
    3. C.
      wrap it in paper
    4. D.
      eat while it is fresh
  4. 4.

    What can we infer from the passage?

    1. A.
      Lettuce is the easiest crop to grow in your garden
    2. B.
      The lettuce is not hard to plant and store
    3. C.
      We can plant lettuce in a two-centimeter-high tray
    4. D.
      We should water lettuce at least twice a day

There was once a man called Mr. Flowers, and flowers were his only joy in life. He spent all his free time in one of his four glass-houses and grew flowers of every color, with long and difficult names, for competitions. He tried to grow a rose of a new color to win the silver cup for the Rose of the Year.
Mr. Flowers’ glass-houses were very near to a middle school. Boys of around thirteen of age were often tempted (引诱) to throw a stone or two at one of Mr. Flowers’ glass-houses. So Mr. Flowers did his best to be in or near his glass-houses at the beginning and end of the school day.
But it was not always possible to be on watch at those times. Mr. Flowers had tried in many ways to protect his glass, but nothing that he had done had been useful. He had been to school to report to the headmaster; but this had not done any good. He had tried to drive away the boys that threw stones into his garden; but the boys could run faster than he could, and they laughed at him from far away. He had even picked up all the stones that he could find around his garden, so that the boys would have nothing to throw; but they soon found others.
At last Mr. Flowers had a good idea. He put up a large notice made of good, strong wood, some meters away from the glass-houses. On it he had written the words: DO NOT THROW STONES AT THIS NOTICE. After this, Mr. Flowers had no further trouble; the boys were much more tempted to throw stones at the notice than at the glass-houses

  1. 1.

    It was Mr. Flowers’ hope to ________

    1. A.
      build glass-houses in his free time 
    2. B.
      grow the Rose of the Year in a silver cup
    3. C.
      win a silver cup for growing a rose of a new color
    4. D.
      grow a rose with the longest name
  2. 2.

    Boys were often tempted to ________

    1. A.
      throw stones at Mr. Flowers’ glass-house 
    2. B.
      throw stones at Mr. Flowers from their school
    3. C.
      be in or near by Mr. Flowers’ glass-houses 
    4. D.
      play with Mr. Flowers near his glass-houses
  3. 3.

    Mr. Flowers stayed in or near by his glass-houses _______

    1. A.
      at times when school-boys were walking near them
    2. B.
      all the school day when there were no boys about
    3. C.
      where he could not be seen by the boys passing
    4. D.
      in his free time at the beginning and end of the school day
  4. 4.

    Mr. Flowers had tried to ______ to protect his glass

    1. A.
      be on watch in his free time
    2. B.
      ask the headmaster for help
    3. C.
      pick up all the stones around his garden
    4. D.
      do all the above
  5. 5.

    Mr. Flowers’ good idea was to ______

    1. A.
      write some words on the glass
    2. B.
      put up a large notice to cover his glass-houses
    3. C.
      give the boys something else to throw stones at
    4. D.
      send for policemen

When Charles Strattion was five, he stopped growing. His mother took him to see the famous showman, P. T. Barnum, and thought a small person would be the perfect addition to his show. He hired Charles’ parents along with him, and they traveled around the world together.
He gave the two-foot-tall Charles a new name, general Tom Thumb. He taught Tom how to sing, dance, act, and tell jokes. When he felt Tom was ready to perform on stage, he made up ads. To stir up great interest, he said that Tom was eleven years old and had come from England.
Tom’s act was very popular and brought in a lot of money. By the time Tom was an adult, he had grown very rich. He had become a billionaire at the age of twenty-five.
Fortunately for Tom, Mr. Barnum added more little people to his show, and Tom became lucky in love as well. One of the little people was Lavinia Warren, a school teacher. Tom was able to win her love, and they married.
The ceremony and reception were the talk of the town. They were attended by many rich and famous people and by about two thousand guests. Crowds filled the street of New York to have a look at their tiny wedding carriage. The couple even met with President Abraham Lincoln on their honeymoon, just before going to live in Tom’s house in Connecticut.
Their wedding, which took place during the Civil War, provided a welcome escape from the sad problems of war. Not willing to let this bit of sunshine fade, communities throughout the country held Tom Thumb’s weddings. In these weddings, small boys and girls, all dressed up, went through marriage ceremony for fun

  1. 1.

    “the talk of the town” means      

    1. A.
      they were in the newspaper
    2. B.
      people spread many rumors about them
    3. C.
      they were the most popular things happening
    4. D.
      they were discussed in a city meeting
  2. 2.

    What does the author think about Tom Thumb’s wedding?

    1. A.
      People gave it too much of their attention
    2. B.
      It helped people cheer up in a dark time
    3. C.
      It was funny and ridiculous
    4. D.
      Tom and Lavinia were stupid
  3. 3.

    Which of the following is the best description of the fact that Tom was smart?

    1. A.
      He became a billionaire at twenty-five
    2. B.
      He learned how to sing, dance, and act at a very young age
    3. C.
      He met with President Lincoln during his honeymoon
    4. D.
      He married a school teacher
  4. 4.

    It was very funny when Tom danced on a wooden plate held by a person who was eight feet tall because      

    1. A.
      the wooden plate would make it sound as of Tom were tap dancing
    2. B.
      it made Tom feel taller
    3. C.
      the eight-foot-tall man was the only tall person Tom trusted
    4. D.
      the difference between them would make Tom look even smaller
  5. 5.

    What does the author imply in the last paragraph?

    1. A.
      Weddings always make people feel full of sunshine
    2. B.
      People are always disappointed during wartime
    3. C.
      Entertainment can serve an important purpose
    4. D.
      People should be married even if they are small
 0  10635  10643  10649  10653  10659  10661  10665  10671  10673  10679  10685  10689  10691  10695  10701  10703  10709  10713  10715  10719  10721  10725  10727  10729  10730  10731  10733  10734  10735  10737  10739  10743  10745  10749  10751  10755  10761  10763  10769  10773  10775  10779  10785  10791  10793  10799  10803  10805  10811  10815  10821  10829  151629 

违法和不良信息举报电话:027-86699610 举报邮箱:58377363@163.com

精英家教网