The Girl Who Fell From the Sky
From its opening lines – “ ‘You my lucky piece,’ Grandma says.... Her hand is wrapped around mine” – Heidi W. Durrow pulls us into her first novel, a moving story encircling us as firmly as that protective grandmotherly grip.
When we meet Rachel Morse, the daughter of an African-American GI and a Danish woman, she is just moving into the Portland, Oregon., home of her strong-minded paternal grandmother and her warm, classy Aunt Loretta. We soon learn that Rachel has survived a fall from a nine-story apartment building in which her mother, brother, and baby sister all died. Three months earlier, Rachel’s mother had left her alcoholic husband in Germany, following her “orange-haired” lover to Chicago. But Nella hadn’t been prepared for boyfriend’s drinking and racism, or for the looks and questions she gets as the mother of three brown children.
Rachel’s “new-girl feeling” in her grandmother’s home goes beyond her recent tragedy. Having grown up with a Scandinavian mother in the more colorblind society of an overseas Army base, this is her first time in a mostly black community. Her light-brown skin, “fuzzy” hair, and blue eyes raise questions about her racial identity that are entirely new and puzzling to her.
Starting sixth grade in her new school, Rachel notes, “There are fifteen black people in the class and seven white people. And there’s me. There’s another girl who sits in the back. Her name is Carmen LaGuardia, and she has hair like mine, my same color skin, and she counts as black. I don’t understand how, but she seems to know.” Several years later, in high school, her status remains uncertain. “They call me an Oreo. I don’t want to be white. Sometimes I want to go back to being what I was. I want to be nothing.”
Winner of the Bellwether Prize, created by Barbara Kingsolver to celebrate fiction that addresses issues of social injustice, “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” comes at a time when bi-racial and multicultural identity – so markedly represented by President Obama – is especially topical.
But set in the 1980s and focusing on one unusually sympathetic girl overcoming family tragedy and feeling her way through racial tensions, Durrow’s novel surpasses topicality.
Like Rachel, Durrow is the light-brown-skinned, blue-eyed daughter of a Danish mother and an African-American father enlisted in the Air Force. With degrees from Stanford, Columbia Journalism School, and Yale Law School, it’s no wonder she gives her heroine discipline and brains.
Rachel’s life, however, is clearly not Durrow’s. No, there’s alcohol and drug addiction; deaths by fire, trauma, and infection. There are mothers who lose their children, and a saintly drug counselor who loses his beloved girl-friend. Through it all, what makes Durrow’s novel soar is her masterful sense of voice, her assured, delicate handling of complex racial issues – and her heart.
After hearing the blues music for the first time, Rachel feels what her mother called hyggeligt – “something like comfort and home and love all rolled into one.” She wonders what might have happened if her mother had known about such soulful music, “that sometimes there’s a way to take the sadness and turn it into a beautiful song.”
This, of course, is precisely what Durrow has done in this powerful book: taken sadness and turned it into a beautiful song.
60. What should be the direct cause of Rachel coming to Portland, Oregon?
A. Her mother left her alcoholic father.
B. A deadly tragedy happened to her family.
C. Her grandmother wants her to come and stay with her.
D. There was too much racism where she used to live with her mother.
61. Durrow’s life is different from Rachel’s in that _____________.
A. Durrow has to struggle through her life, depending on herself.
B. Durrow is troubled in her life by racism, living in a poor neighborhood.
C. Durrow has come through life much easier, with a better family background.
D. There’s alcohol and drug addiction in Durrow’s suffering-laden neighborhood.
62. Why does the writer of the book review mention President Obama in this writing?
A. To show the progress in America’s black community.
B. To highlight the racial harmony in the United States.
C. To indicate Obama’s influence in helping Durrow win the Bellwether Prize.
D. To remind readers of the background when the novel was written and won the Bellwether Prize.
63. The blues music Rachel hears is, deep at the bottom of her heart, most suggestive of ______.
A. bravery          B. hope           C. sadness         D. beauty

Recently, South Korean star PSY’s ‘Gangnam style” video has been popular on the Internet. It has become most people’s favorite music.

In fact, the song has set the Guinness World Record for the most popular video in the history of the Internet. More than two million people have said “like” since the song was on the Internet on July 15.

PSY”s special dance moves and funny horse riding style have attracted many people. Although many people do not understand the language, the video has become the talk of the Internet. The song has come to first place in the music charts(排行榜) in 31 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

 “I just sang for my South Korean fans. I have never expected it to be popular in other countries,” PSY told the reporters on a concert. The song was so popular that a few of South Korean’s politicians showed PSY’s moves to attract supporters.

 “The song came out in mid-July. It sings about the rich life of South Korea —especially Gangnam in Soeoul, where a lot of rich people live.

Millions of people have watched the video. Many stars, such as Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Nelly Furtado said that they love the song. These stars performed part of the song at a recent concert.

Riding high on the success of “Gangnam Style”, PSY was signed by Scooter Braun to Braun’s Schoolboy Records, a label distributed by Universal Republic.

PSY has written many hit songs of varying styles for different singers. Prior to “Gangnam Style” his most famous composition perhaps was Lee Seung Gi’s debut(首次亮相) song “Because You Are My Woman”.

1. What makes PSY’s “Gangnam Style” the famous music of millions of people?

A. The song has set the Guinness World Record.

B. The song has come to first place in the music chart.

C. They like the dance moves and the horse riding style.

D. They don’t understand the words of the song.

2.Why did some of South Korea’s politicians show PSY”s moves?

A. They wanted to tell people that they were also fond of music.

B. They wanted people to support them.

C. They were PSY’s fans.

D. They liked PSY’s dancing style.

3. What’s “Gangnam Style” about?

A. The way of horse riding.

B. The rich life of people of Gangnam in Seoul.

C. The Guinness World Record.

D. The love of stars.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A. Life of the Music Star PSY

B. “Gangnam Styly” —— Most people’s favorite Music

C. PSY’s Famous Compositions

D. Meaning of “Gangnam Style”

Recently, South Korean star PSY’s ‘Gangnam style” video has been popular on the Internet. It has become most people’s favorite music.
In fact, the song has set the Guinness World Record for the most popular video in the history of the Internet. More than two million people have said “like” since the song was on the Internet on July 15.
PSY”s special dance moves and funny horse riding style have attracted many people. Although many people do not understand the language, the video has become the talk of the Internet. The song has come to first place in the music charts(排行榜) in 31 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.
“I just sang for my South Korean fans. I have never expected it to be popular in other countries,” PSY told the reporters on a concert. The song was so popular that a few of South Korean’s politicians showed PSY’s moves to attract supporters.
“The song came out in mid-July. It sings about the rich life of South Korea —especially Gangnam in Soeoul, where a lot of rich people live.
Millions of people have watched the video. Many stars, such as Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Nelly Furtado said that they love the song. These stars performed part of the song at a recent concert.
Riding high on the success of “Gangnam Style”, PSY was signed by Scooter Braun to Braun’s Schoolboy Records, a label distributed by Universal Republic.
PSY has written many hit songs of varying styles for different singers. Prior to “Gangnam Style” his most famous composition perhaps was Lee Seung Gi’s debut(首次亮相) song “Because You Are My Woman”.
【小题1】What makes PSY’s “Gangnam Style” the famous music of millions of people?

D
Men and women who serve in the United States armed forces are proud of the names like
doughboy and GI Joe．The names have come from the American Civil War．
After the American Civil War in the eighteen sixties，a writer in a publication called Beadle’s Monthly used the word doughboy to describe Civil War soldiers．But word expert Charles Funk says that early writer could not explain where the name started．
About twenty years later，someone did explain．She was the wife of the famous American general George Custer．Elizabeth Custer wrote that a doughboy was a sweet food served to Navy men on ships．She also said the name was given to the large buttons on the clothes of soldiers．For example，the soldiers enjoyed their new GI very much．They looked smart and felt comfortable．Elizabeth Custer believed the name changed over time to mean the soldiers themselves．
By World War Two，soldiers were called other names．The one most often heard was GI, or GI Joe．Most people say the letters GI were a short way to say general issue or government issue．The name came to mean several things．It could mean the soldier himself．It could mean things given to soldiers when they joined the military such as weapons，equipment or clothes．And，for some reason，it could mean to organize，or clean．Soldiers often say，“We GI’d the place．”And when an area looks good．soldiers may say the area is“GI．”Strangely，though，GI can also mean poor work，a job badly done．
Some students of military words have another explanation of GI．They say that instead of government issue or general issue，GI came from the words galvanized iron．The American soldier was said to be like galvanized iron，a material produced for special strength．The Dictionary of Soldier Talk says GI was used for the words galvanized iron in a publication about the vehicles of the early twentieth century．
Today，a doughboy or GI may be called a grunt(咕哝声)．Nobody is sure of the exact beginning of the word．But，the best idea probably is that the name comes from the sound that troops make when ordered to march long distances carrying heavy equipment．
68．Originally the word“doughboy”referred to             ．
A．the American Civil War             B．a word expert in the 1860s
C．the American Civil War writers      D．a sweet food and the buttons
69．It was           who found how the name doughboy came about．
A．Elizabeth Custer                        B．George Custer
C．Charles Funk                                 D．Beadle's Monthly
70．What does GI mean in the example in Paragraph 4 ?
A．Clothes．                                B．Weapons．               
C．Government issues．                    D．Vehicles．
71．Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A．Navy soldiers used to 1ike sweet food a lot in the wars．
B．Much noise was made when soldiers carried equipment．
C．Galvanized iron was a symbol of the soldiers．
D．A US soldier can be called a doughboy，a GI or a grunt．

Recently, South Korean star PSY’s ‘Gangnam style” video has been popular on the Internet. It has become most people’s favorite music.

In fact, the song has set the Guinness World Record for the most popular video in the history of the Internet. More than two million people have said “like” since the song was on the Internet on July 15.

PSY”s special dance moves and funny horse riding style have attracted many people. Although many people do not understand the language, the video has become the talk of the Internet. The song has come to first place in the music charts(排行榜) in 31 countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

“I just sang for my South Korean fans. I have never expected it to be popular in other countries,” PSY told the reporters on a concert. The song was so popular that a few of South Korean’s politicians showed PSY’s moves to attract supporters.

“The song came out in mid-July. It sings about the rich life of South Korea —especially Gangnam in Soeoul, where a lot of rich people live.

Millions of people have watched the video. Many stars, such as Katy Perry, Robbie Williams and Nelly Furtado said that they love the song. These stars performed part of the song at a recent concert.

Riding high on the success of “Gangnam Style”, PSY was signed by Scooter Braun to Braun’s Schoolboy Records, a label distributed by Universal Republic.

PSY has written many hit songs of varying styles for different singers. Prior to “Gangnam Style” his most famous composition perhaps was Lee Seung Gi’s debut(首次亮相) song “Because You Are My Woman”.

1.What makes PSY’s “Gangnam Style” the famous music of millions of people?

A．The song has set the Guinness World Record.

B．The song has come to first place in the music chart.

C．They like the dance moves and the horse riding style.

D．They don’t understand the words of the song.

2.Why did some of South Korea’s politicians show PSY”s moves?

A．They wanted to tell people that they were also fond of music.

B．They wanted people to support them.

C．They were PSY’s fans.

D．They liked PSY’s dancing style.

3.What’s “Gangnam Style” about?

A．The way of horse riding.

B．The rich life of people of Gangnam in Seoul.

C．The Guinness World Record.

D．The love of stars.

4.What is the best title of the passage?

A．Life of the Music Star PSY

B．“Gangnam Styly” —— Most people’s favorite Music

C．PSY’s Famous Compositions

D．Meaning of “Gangnam Style”