Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Cubans,” she added, “are a musical people”.

Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!

When Gloria was ten, her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.

She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine.

Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978 Gloria and Emilio married.

At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.

Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Gloria has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.

Gloria said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it—that’s the main thing.”

Gloria’s father was ill        .

       A. when they settled down in Miami.

       B. before they left their home country

       C. after he returned from Vietnam War

       D. as soon as she finished high school

According to the passage, probably Gloria did the following except        .

       A. organizing an all-star concert for Hurricane victims

       B. winning an award for reading in English

       C. teaching at school to support the family

       D. taking care of her father and sister

The underlined word “disaster” in this passage refers to        .

       A. the concert B. the celebration   C. the victims D. the hurricane

This passage mainly tells about Gloria Estefan’s        .

      A. life story   B. happy marriage   C. music style    D. Cuban background

They had their shabby house       and sold it for a big profit.

  A. brought up       B. taken up       C. put up     D. done up

I had planted different hot peppers in my garden. A Mexican fellow called Sam worked for me. He_36_ hot peppers, too. It was late summer and a beautiful sunny day. My son, Marcus, eight, and my daughter, Ellen, ten, picked several 37 hot peppers and entered our workroom, with their              38 ．They wanted to see if Sam could   39   more hot peppers than I.  After a little joking with them we agreed to the contest but they had to   40  ，too. That was not  41  terms for them so they left the room.

They  42   about an hour later with a new proposal and new hot peppers they had just picked．  43  they had reasoned that when a pepper was  44  in color it was the hottest kind. Marcus and Ellen would eat the green colored peppers   45  Sam and I would eat the red colored peppers. Giving Sam a wink（使眼色），we  46  . Showing good sportsmanship（体育精神），I had the kids  47  the peppers that Sam and I would eat.  They picked the largest two red peppers.  Then they picked a  48   green one for themselves. Knowing what was going to  49  ，I told them I would make it  50   for them.  I cut one pepper in half and removed the  51   to reduce the heat a little. The contest was one of speed rather than  52  ．Each child had pepper in hand and was  53  to start .

Looking at my  54   I said, OK, on three. One, Two, THREE. So much happened all at once. Tears, screams and spitting running around, the children  55   their mouth with fast waving hands.  A short time later, Sam and I agreed that the red tasted better than the green.

A. ate              B. liked          C. sold             D. studied

A. heavy                    B. colorful             C. large                  D. green

A. proposal             B. tricks                C. imagination        D. plans

A. plant                         B. pick                  C. harvest               D. eat

A. taste                   B. participate         C. contribute           D. share

A. acceptable              B. comfortable              C. profitable           D. tolerable

A. entered                  B. returned            C. responded           D. reached

A. Somehow                  B. Unfortunately    C. Unexpectedly      D. Anyhow

A. purple                   B. green                C. red                    D. orange

A. while              B. but            C. so              D. if

A. smiled              B. understood         C. agreed             D. jumped．

A. prepare           B. select          C. cut                 D. cook

A. fresh              B. small          C. delicious             D. hot

A. take in               B. take on              C. take place           D. take effect

A. more convenient     B. more interesting

C. happier           D. easier

A. seeds            B. leaves         C. skin                    D. flesh

A. time                   B. skill                  C. quality               D. quantity

A. nervous                 B. eager                C. willing          D. glad

A. watch                    B. children            C. partner          D. pepper

A. opened                  B. covered             C. fanned               D. washed

John sold the camera yesterday which his brother           him as a birthday present from Japan.

Singing had always been an important part of Gloria Estefan’s life. “ Since I was three years old, I sang. I sang everything,” Gloria said. “Gubans,” she added, “are a musical people.”
Gloria was born in Cuba in 1957. Her family left the country just before Fidel Castro came to power. In Miami, where the family settled, many people did not accept Cuban immigrants. In first grade, she spoke little English, but she worked hard to learn the language. Six months after she entered school, she won an award for reading in English!
When Gloria was ten , her father returned from the Vietnam War. Soon, the family realized he wasn’t well. They soon found out that he was badly ill. Her mother went back to teaching at school to support the family. Gloria cared for her father and her younger sister.
She still made the honor roll, and she still had her music, but Gloria was lonely. However, when the band leader Emilio Estefan came to speak at her high school, Gloria sang for him. He asked her to join his band. It was the beginning of the Miami Sound Machine. Within a few months, the Miami Sound Machine was the top band in Miami. In 1978, Gloria and Emilio married.
At first, the Miami Sound Machine was known only in Miami. Then the band signed with CBS Records. Estefan and his band became stars.
Since then, the Miami Sound Machine has sold millions of records. Estefan has done more than just singing when Hurricane Andrew hit central Florida in 1992. She used only two weeks to organize an all-star concert that raised $ 2 million for the people who suffered in the hurricane. “We needed a party after that disaster,” she said.
Estefan said, “You have to stay true to the music you really love to do. There will always be people who will tell you, ‘that won’t work.’ You’ve got to be firm in spite of difficulties. Stick to it——that’s the main thing.”
【小题1】Estefan’s father was ill ______.