Books for Children                                         

Fleabag and the Ring's End Beth Webb More stories of Fleabag, the talking cat—star of this wonderful set of 3 books. Ages 8—13, 208 pages, paper-back 07459 44116, ￡3.99	The little White House Elizabeth Goudge A fairy tale and winner of the Carnegie Medal. Ages 8—12, 240 pages, paper-back 07459 45783, ￡4.99
My Very First Christmas Book Lois Rock and Alec Ayliffe A big, bright book, which presents the story simply, and delightfully for very young children. Ages 0—3, 12 pages, 200mmx200mm, board 07459 40560, ￡4.99	First Festival: Christmas Lois Rock An all-in-one book to help grown-ups and children prepare their Christmas celebration together. Presents, activities and customs. Ages 5—8, 48 pages, 290mmx250mm, hardback 07459 39074, ￡8.99
Star of Wonder Pat Alexander A wonderful collection of Christmas stories and poems. Full of lively pages to read and enjoy. Ages 7—12, 224 pages, paperback 07459 39323, ￡4.99	The Not-So-Wise Man Alan MacDonald and Andrew Rowland We all know about the 3 Wise Men who traveled to Bethlehem（伯利恒）and discovered the baby Jesus Christ. This is the tale of another one, who always missed the point. Ages 5—9, 32 pages, 270mm×210mm, hardback. 07459 38922, ￡8.99

A．07459 40560.

B．07459 38922.

C．07459 45783.

D．07459 44116.

   Louis Armstrong had two famous nicknames (绰号). Some people called him Bagamo. They said his mouth looked like a large bag, Musicians often called him Pops, as a sign of respect for his influence (影响) on the world of music.

    Born in 1901 in New Orleans, be grew up poor, but lived among great musicians. Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth. Armstrong often said, “Jazz and I grew up together.”

    Armstrong showed a great talent (天赋) for music when he was taught to play the cornet (短号) at a boy’s home. In his late teens, Armstrong began to live the life of a musician. He played in parades, clubs, and on the steamboats that traveled on the Mississippi River. At that time, New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians. Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal.

    In 1922 he went to Chicago. There, the tale of Louis Armstrong begins. From then until the end of his life, Armstrong was celebrated and loved wherever be went Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song.

    His cornet playing had a deep humanity (仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say, “Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over.” He was the father of the jazz style(风格) and also one of the best-known and most admired people in the world. His death, on July 6,1971, was headline news around the world.

41.Armstrong was called Pops because he     .   

A. looked like a musician                B. was a musician of much influence

C. showed an interest in music               D. traveled to play modern music

42.The third paragraph is developed      .

A. by space         B. by examples       C. by time       D. by comparison

43.Which statement about Armstrong is true?

A. His tale begins in New Orleans.                  B. He was born before jazz was invented.

C. His music was popular with his listeners. D. He learned popular music at a boy’s home.

44.Which would be the best title for the text?

A. The Invention of the Jazz Music                    B. The Father of the Jazz Style

C. The Making of a Musician                      D. The Spread of Popular Music

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity,” said the American talk show host Oprah Winfrey. I’ve never watched her show, but when a self-made billionaire gives life advice it’s probably worth listening to.
Her point is that blind luck is very rare. You may have to be lucky to find a good job these days but that does not mean you should sit at home waiting for the opportunity to come to you. If you’re a Chinese, you may already be familiar with the tale of a farmer waiting by a tree stump(树桩) for a rabbit to run out and break its neck.
A book by the UK psychologist Richard Wiseman, called The Luck Factor, argues we can all make ourselves luckier. It’s not about going to a temple to burn some incense(香) hopes that the gods will give you good fortune; it’s practical advice you can follow each day.
Wiseman conducted an experiment as part of his studies. First he divided volunteers into two groups; those who said they were lucky in life and those who said they were not. He gave everyone a newspaper and asked them to look through it to count how many photographs it had inside. On average, the unlucky people took about two minutes to count the photographs while the lucky people took just seconds. Why? On the second page of the newspaper, a command, “Stop counting. There are 43 photographs in this newspaper,” was written in big letters. The unlucky people mostly did not spot the message.
It’s easy to compare this situation to a young person looking for jobs in a local paper. They might search so hard for one type of position that they miss an even better opportunity. People who are “lucky”, in fact, keep an open mind and don’t go through the same routine every day.
I first came to China in 2002 when it was considered a rather strange thing to do. Like many foreigners, my plan was to teach English for one year. Seven years later, and still here, I’ve had many great opportunities such as writing for newspapers and magazines. I did not dream these would have been possible. I’ve also never been sick, had an accident, got into a fight or had problems with the police. Coincidence? After reading about Professor Wiseman’s studies I think not.
As Wiseman advises, I usually trust my own judgment. Your friends and parents may give you advice based on rational thinking, but it’s important to consider how you feel about each choice you make. Your feeling acts as a warning for a potential problem.
Finally, try to turn bad luck into good. Even if you do fall down and break a leg, the time spent at home can be used wisely to study English.
【小题1】Which of the following proverbs most agrees with the writer’s point?

In this age of Internet chat, videogames and reality television, there is no shortage of mindless activities to keep a child occupied. Yet, despite the competition, my 8-year-old daughter Rebecca wants to spend her leisure time writing short stories. She wants to enter one of her stories into a writing contest, a competition she won last year.

　　As a writer I know about winning contests, and about losing them. I know what it is like to work hard on a story only to receive a rejection slip from the publisher. I also know the pressures of trying to live up to a reputation created by previous victories. What if she doesn’t win the contest again? That’s the strange thing about being a parent. So many of our own past scars and dashed hopes can surface.

　　A revelation (启示) came last week when I asked her, “Don’t you want to win again?” “No,” she replied, “I just want to tell the story of an angel going to first grade.”

　　I had just spent weeks correcting her stories as she spontaneously (自发地) told them. Telling myself that I was merely an experienced writer guiding the young writer across the hall, I offered suggestions for characters, conflicts and endings for her tales. The story about a fearful angel starting first grade was quickly “guided” by me into the tale of a little girl with a wild imagination taking her first music lesson. I had turned her contest into my contest without even realizing it.

　　Staying back and giving kids space to grow is not as easy as it looks. Because I know very little about farm animals who use tools or angels who go to first grade, I had to accept the fact that I was co-opting (借用) my daughter’s experience.

　　While stepping back was difficult for me, it was certainly a good first step that I will quickly follow with more steps, putting myself far enough away to give her room but close enough to help if asked. All the while I will be reminding myself that children need room to experiment, grow and find their own voices.

1.What did the author say about her own writing experience?

A. She was constantly under pressure of writing more.

B. Most of her stories had been rejected by publishers.

C. Her way to success was full of pains and frustrations.

D. She did not quite live up to her reputation as a writer.

2.Why did Rebecca want to enter this year’s writing contest?

A. She wanted to share her stories with readers.

B. She had won a prize in the previous contest.

C. She was sure of winning with her mother’s help.

D. She believed she possessed real talent for writing.

3.The author took great pains to refine her daughter’s stories because ________.

A. she wanted to help Rebecca realize her dream of becoming a writer

B. she believed she had the knowledge and experience to offer guidance

C. she did not want to disappoint Rebecca who needed her help so much

D. she was afraid Rebecca’s imagination might run wild while writing

4.What’s the author’s advice for parents?

A. Children should be given every chance to voice their opinions.

B. Children should be allowed freedom to grow through experience.

C. Parents should keep an eye on the activities their kids engage in.

D. A writing career, though attractive, is not for every child to pursue.

第三部分：阅读理解（共15小题；每小题2分，满分30分）

阅读下面短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C、D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

Louis Armstong had two famous nicknames（绰号）. Some people called him Bagamo . They said his mouth looked like a large bag . Musicians often called him Pops , as a sign of respect for his influence on the world of music .

Born in 1901 in New Orleans , he grew up poor , but lived among great musicians . Jazz was invented in the city a few years before his birth . Armstrong often said , “ Jazz and I grew up together .”

Armstrong showed a great talent for music when he was taught to play the cornet(短号) at a boy’s home . In his late teens , Armstrong began to live the life of a musician . He played in parades , clubs , and on the steamboats that travelled on the Mississippi River . At that time , New Orleans was famous for the new music of jazz and was home to many great musicians . Armstrong learned from the older musicians and soon became respected as their equal .

In 1922 he went to Chicago . There , the tale of Louis Armstrong begins . From then until the end of his life , Armstong was celebrated and loved wherever he went . Armstrong had no equal when it came to playing the American popular song .

His cornet playing had a deep humanity(仁爱) and warmth that caused many listeners to say , “ Listening to Pops just makes you feel good all over .” He was the father of the jazz style and also one of the best-known and most-admired people in the world . His death , on July 6 , 1971 , was headline news around the world .

1. Armstrong was called Pops because he         .

A. looked like a musician          B. was a musician of much influence

C. showed an interest in music      D. travelled to play modern music

2. The third paragraph is developed          .

A. by space      B. by examples     C. by time      D. by comparison

3. Which statement about Armstrong is true ?

A. His tale begins in New Orleans .

B. He was born before jazz was invented .

C. His music was popular with his listeners .

D. He learned popular music at a boy’s home .

4. Which would be the best title for the text ?

A. The Invention of the Jazz Music .

B. The Father of the Jazz Style .

C. The Making of a Musician .

D. The Spread of Popular Music .