Brazil (巴西) is the greatest football nation in the world. There are 100 million Brazilians (巴西人). How many of them are football fans? 100 million! All of them think that they know all about football. This makes life very difficult for the Brazilian team manager. When things go badly for the Brazilian team, the newspaper would demand (要求) that the team manager should leave his job. “If we win, they put me in heaven (天堂),” as a manager once said, “If we lose, they put me in hell (地狱).”

You can’t escape football in Brazil. There are football matches on every street and beach. On television, the results of the football matches come before the main news programs. There are six television channels in Rio de Janeiro. On Sundays each channel shows a different football match.

Brazil is not the richest country in the world, but the government spends huge sums of money on football. It cost more than one billion pounds to prepare for the 1978 World Cup. That’s 10 pounds for every Brazilian man, woman, and child. And many Brazilians don’t earn as much as 10 pounds a week. Is it worth it?

“Brazil must have a great football team,” says one journalist. “If it costs one billion pounds, that’s all right. If the government doesn’t give a good football team, then it will become unpopular. Football is more than a game in Brazil.”

Football is more than a game in Brazil. This is certainly true in its largest city, Sao Paulo. The most popular team is Corinthians. Corinthians’ fans are the most loyal (忠实的) and emotional in Brazil. When Corinthians win, production in the Sao Paulo car factories increases by fifteen per cent. When they lose, it drops. At one time Corinthians won the national championship for the first time. For four days fans danced and sang in the streets.

74. In Brazil the number of football fans and its population are __________.

A. the same       B. less                   C. more           D. 100 billion

75. Life for __________ is no easy, for he will be put in hell if the football team loses.

A. a football fan      B. any government official          C. the Brazilian team manager     D. a football player

76. It is the __________ that come before the main news programs on television.

A. football matches                   B. results of football matches

C. football matches on the streets           D. football matches on the beaches

77. The government spent __________ in preparing for the 1978 World Cup though the country was not rich.

A. one billion dollars      B. one million pounds      C. one billion pounds      D. one million RMB

78. Football is more than a game in Brazil. The underlined sentence means “In Brazil __________.”

A. people like football very much     B. there is something else in football

C. people are keen on competition    D. football has influences (影响) on the politics and economy of the nation

79. The best title of the passage is __________.

A. Brazilians and Football            B. Brazilians’ Way of Life

C. Football and Income             D. Football and Government

Lang Lang, the young Chinese pianist, was born in Shenyang in 1982. He began to play the piano when he was 3. At the age of 5, he won first place in a piano competition in Shenyang. People thought he was a genius(天才). From then on, playing the piano became the dream of Lang and his parents.
When Lang was 9 years old, he and his father went to Beijing to study piano. His father even left his work. Although he endured(忍受) great pressure(压力), Lang never gave up his dream of becoming a concert pianist. When he was 17, Lang became famous after he played in a great concert in Chicago, US.
Now 28-year-old Lang is famous all over the world for his great performances. He played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was also one of Times magazine’s 100 Most Influential(有影响力的) People in the World in 2009. He is one of the world’s great musicians.
【小题1】What does Lang Lang do?

Lang Lang, the young Chinese pianist, was born in Shenyang in 1982. He began to play the piano when he was 3. At the age of 5, he won first place in a piano competition in Shenyang. People thought he was a genius(天才). From then on, playing the piano became the dream of Lang and his parents.
When Lang was 9 years old, he and his father went to Beijing to study piano. His father even left his work. Although he endured(忍受) great pressure(压力), Lang never gave up his dream of becoming a concert pianist. When he was 17, Lang became famous after he played in a great concert in Chicago, US.
Now 28-year-old Lang is famous all over the world for his great performances. He played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He was also one of Times magazine’s 100 Most Influential(有影响力的) People in the World in 2009. He is one of the world’s great musicians.

1. 1.

   What does Lang Lang do?

   1. A.
      He is a violinist.
   2. B.
      He is a pianist.
   3. C.
      He is a music teacher.
   4. D.
      He is an engineer.
2. 2.

   When did Lang Lang win first place in a piano competition in Shenyang?

   1. A.
      In 1982.
   2. B.
      In 1985.
   3. C.
      In 1987.
   4. D.
      In 1991.
3. 3.

   Why did Lang Lang’s father leave his work?

   1. A.
      Because he wanted to find a job in Beijing.
   2. B.
      Because he wanted to learn the piano.
   3. C.
      Because he could find better jobs in Shenyang.
   4. D.
      Because Lang Lang went to Beijing to study piano and he wanted to give much help.
4. 4.

   Which is NOT true according to the passage?

   1. A.
      Lang Lang works very hard at piano.
   2. B.
      Lang Lang wasn’t famous before 2009.
   3. C.
      Lang Lang was born in Liaoning Province.
   4. D.
      Lang Lang played at the Beijing Olympics in 2008.