For the most part, you are probably only exposed to the music that is played on your favorite radio stations and TV shows, music Web sites, or the music that your friends and family members enjoy. While you probably know a lot about your favorite type of music, it can be a rewarding experience to enlarge your horizons（眼界）, discovering artists and types of music that you’re not familiar with. Who knows, you might discover you like certain types of music you never even considered.
Have you ever wondered about the history and influences of your favorite types of music ? For example, did you know that rock ‘n’ roll originated（起源）from the blues, and that the blues began as a form of musical expression for African Americans during slavery（奴隶制度）？Did you know that most hip-hop is heavily influenced by early rhythm blues and jazz ?
There are many fun ways to learn about different musical styles and their historical roots. For example, if you like hip-hop, listen to some of your favorite CDs and take note of the samples the performers used to create the songs. There is a possibility that the artist used parts of older songs to create the music. You can go to the library or online to learn more about the artists and listen to more of their music by checking out CDs from the library or downloading songs online for a small fee.
You can learn so much about culture and history just by paying attention to different types of music and what is being expressed in the songs. There are so many different styles of music to learn about, and you owe（欠）it to yourself to make an effort to listen to and learn about them.

1. 1.

   The main topic of this passage is _____.

   1. A.
      creating music
   2. B.
      performing music
   3. C.
      enjoying your favorite music
   4. D.
      learning about music
2. 2.

   What music did African Americans use to express their feelings of being slaves ?

   1. A.
      Rock ‘n’ roll.
   2. B.
      The blues.
   3. C.
      Hip-hop.
   4. D.
      Jazz.
3. 3.

   How can you learn about culture and history through music ?

   1. A.
      By writing down the names of the music.
   2. B.
      By creating music from older songs yourself.
   3. C.
      By caring about what is being expressed in music.
   4. D.
      By keeping a record of fees after downloading songs online.
4. 4.

   By saying the underlined sentence in the last paragraph, the author probably means that _____.

   1. A.
      you should try harder to learn about music
   2. B.
      you should return something to music
   3. C.
      you should borrow music CDs from others
   4. D.
      you should buy music CDs yourself

       Be Brave With New Things

   The old advertising slogan, “so simple a child can do it ,” has taken on new meaning to me. A few weeks ago I got a computer, but I an mechanically illiterate. I knew that children had no fear of the future, so that seemed a good place to seek help. I asked my nephew, twelve years old, at an elementary school, to help me.

   My nephew took the machine for granted and has simply accepted the fact that computers are now a way of life. He plays with them and does his homework on them and even creates programs for them. I , on the other hand, are terrified by what this equipment can do. It can interchange paragraphs, switch words around and even correct my spelling. It informs me of Its limitations, takes commands and asks questions. It even seems to have a sense of communication. Rather than accusing me of making an error, it prints “One of us has made a mistake!” It never gets tired and is always patient and ready to go when I am.

   I think it was somewhat normal for me to be suspicious of computers. They represent a break with some very familiar habits and traditions. It is only human to instinctively avoid anything that shifts thoroughly from the acceptable, comfortable past. But the world is governed by ceaseless change and we must therefore establish links with the present and future as well as the past. Computer technology is an excellent case in point, as the newest systems grow out of date in only a few years, or even months.

   This ability to see, experience and accept the new is one of our saving characteristics. To be fearful of tomorrow, to close ourselves to possibilities, to resist the inevitable, to advocate standing still when all else is moving forward, is to lose touch. If we accept the new with joy and wonder, we can move gracefully into each tomorrow. More often than not, the children shall lead us.

6．What is the new meaning of  “So simple a child can do it” for the author?

A．computers are so easy to operate that even a child can play them well

B．A child can always do more complex things than an adult.

C．It is easier for a child to accept new things than for an adult.

D．A child has greater ability than an adult in operating computers.

7．According to the second paragraph, which of the following statements is true?

A．The nephew thought it is natural to accept the fact that computers are now a way of life.

B．The nephew believed that machines were made for people to do whatever they wanted.

C．computers are not only used to communicate, but also to remove their limitations.

D．It is a fact that both adults and children have accepted computers as a way of life.

8．Which of the following doesn’t the author’s computer do ?

A．It asks the author if she has made a mistake.

B．It accuses the author of making mistakes.

C．It corrects the author’s spelling mistakes.

D．It informs the author of her mistakes.

9．According to the third paragraph, it is human nature that we resist those things which   

A．only represent the comfortable and acceptable past

B．change thoroughly into the comfortable and acceptable past

C．make people stand still when all else is moving forward

D．change completely from the acceptable and comfortable past

10．How do you understand the underlined sentence in the  text?

　　A. It is always ready to inform me when I am ready to go.

　　B. It is always ready to start working when I am ready for work.

　　C. When I am ready to go, it is patient to wait.

　　D. When I am ready to go, it has already gone.

For a clearer picture of what the student knows, most teachers use another kind of examination in addition to objective tests. They use “essay” tests, which require students to write long answers to broad, general questions such as the following: “Mention several ways in which Benjamin Franklin has influenced thinking of people in his own country and in other parts of the world.”

One advantage of the essay test is that it reduces the element of luck. The student cannot get a high score just by making a lucky guess. Another advantage is that it shows the examiner more cares about the student’s ability to put facts together into a meaningful whole. It should show how deeply he has thought about the subject. Sometimes, though, essay tests have disadvantages, too. Some students are able to write rather good answers without really knowing much about the subject, while other students who actually know the material have trouble expressing their ideas in the essay form.

Besides, in an essay test the student’s score may depend upon the examiner’s feelings at the time of reading the answer. If he is feeling tired or bored, the student may receive a lower score than he should. Another examiner reading the same answer might give it a much higher mark. Because of this, the objective test gives each student a fairer chance, and of course it is easier and quicker to score.

Whether an objective test or an essay test is used, problems arise. When some objective questions are used along with some essay questions, however, a fairly clear picture of the student’s knowledge can usually be gotten.

What may have been discussed in the previous paragraphs?

A. The essay test.                    B. How teachers test their students.

C. How students write their essays.      D. The objective test.

The essay test is preferred because ______.

A. it shows more about the student’s understanding of the subject

B. it tests the student’s knowledge of the material as well as his expression of ideas

C. it gives each student a fairer chance

D. its scoring may be influenced by the examiner’s feelings

The underlined word “this” refers to the fact that ______.

A. students may receive a lower score in an essay test

B. another examiner usually gives the answer a higher mark

C. different examiners may give the same essay different scores

D. the objective test gives each student a fairer chance

According to the passage, which of the following statements about the objective test is NOT true?

    A. It is more objective than the essay test in terms of scoring.

    B. It allows the student to guess the correct answer without really knowing the material.

    C. It shows the student’s ability to think about difficult problems.

    D. It is easy and quick to score.

For some time past,it has been widely accepted that babies—and other creatures—learn to do things because certain acts lead to “rewards(报酬)”,and there is no reason to doubt that this is true. But it used also to be widely believed that effective rewards, at least in the early time, had to be directly connected to such basic physiological(生理的) “drives” as thirst or hunger. In other words, a baby would learn if he got food or drink or some sort of physical comfort, not otherwise.?

It is now clear that this is not so. Babies will learn to behave in ways that produce results in the world with no reward except success in sight.?

Papousek began his studies by using milk in the normal way to “reward” the babies and to teach them to carry out some simple movements, such as turning the head to one side or the other.Then he noticed that a baby who had  had enough to drink would refuse the milk but would still go on making the learned response(回答) with clear signs of pleasure. So he began to study the children's responses in situations where no milk was provided. He quickly found that children as young as four months would learn to turn their heads to right or left if the movement “turned on” some lights—and indeed that they were able to learn some more turns to bring about(产生) this result,for example,two left or two right,or even to make as many as three turns to one side.?

Papousek's light experiment was placed directly in front of the babies and he made the interesting observation that sometimes they would not turn back to watch the light closely ?although? they would “smile and speak” when the light was on.Papousek concluded that it was not the sight of the lights which pleased them.It was the success they were achieving in solving the problem,in mastering the skill,and then there is a basic human nature to make sense of the world and bring it under control.?

According to the writer,babies learn to do things which _______.?

A. will satisfy their surprise B. will meet their physical needs?

C. are directly connected to pleasure D. will bring them a feeling of success

Papousek noticed in his studies that a baby _______.

A. would make learned responses when it saw the milk ?

B. would continue the simple movements without being given milk ?

C. would turn its head to right or left when it had enough to drink?

D. would carry out learned movements when it had enough to drink ?

In Papousek's experiment babies make learned movements of the head in order to _______.

A. be praised  B. please their parents?

C. be rewarded with milk D. have the lights turned on ?

The babies would “smile and speak” at the lights because _______.?

A. they succeeded in “turning on” the lights?

B. the sight of lights was interesting?

C. they need not turn back to watch the lights?

D. the lights were directly connected to some basic “drives”

For Chinese students the end of their senior year is filled with studying and stress as they prepare for the college entrance exams in June. But for American high school seniors the experience couldn't be more different. The end of senior year is a celebration of their time in high school and involves parties, games and fun.

Senioritis(高年级倦怠症) is a commonly used expression. It means seniors have a disease which makes them unable to do work. This starts in April when seniors find out whether they have been accepted to university.

Unwilling to do school work, seniors have plenty of other activities to focus on.Many schools have a "Senior Show", in which only seniors are allowed to perform. Some seniors sing or dance but many of them perform skits (滑稽短剧), where they make fun of their favorite teachers or their friends. For example, a group of boys may dress up and imitate（模仿） a group of their girl friends. It is all very light-hearted.The "Senior Show" is usually a part of Senior Week, which is a week specifically dedicated (专用的) to seniors. During this week, seniors usually get academic or athletic awards they have won over their high school careers. The seniors also vote for one of their male and female classmates who they believe is the best-looking or funniest or most involved, etc. These are then published in the yearbook.

The yearbook is an important part of high school for seniors. It is usually dedicated to them and has all their pictures and some words from them in it. Then seniors go around and get it signed by their friends so they can always remember their time together.

Of course during all of this time, seniors are preparing for the Senior Prom（正式舞会）, which is an important moment in American culture. It is the most important dance in a young American's life.

The end of senior year is a truly special and wonderful time for American students. It's something they will remember for the rest of their lives.

Which of the following is the closest in meaning to the underlined sentence in paragraph 1?

A. For American high school seniors, things are quite different.                  

B. It doesn't make difference at the end of the senior year.

C. For American high school seniors, it is the best time of the year.

D. It is the period filled with stress and workload.

Why are seniorities unable to do work? 

A. Because they have a "disease".

B. Because they are busy for the university.

C. Because it is illegal for them to work.

D. There's too much for them to learn in high school.

What activities that seniors would like to do according to the passage? 

A. School work.             B. Voting for the film star.

C. Singing or dance contests.   D. Senior Show and Senior Prom.

Which is NOT true according to the passage?           

A. All students are allowed to perform in the Senior Show.

B. The yearbook is a reminder for the seniors.

C. Seniors elect the Prom Queen at the end of the Senior Prom.

D. Senior Prom is the most important dance for the seniors .

What will most probably be talked about in the next paragraph of the passage? 

A. Activities on the sports field.

B. The graduation ceremony where they receive their high school diploma.

C. Their favorite film stars.

D. The health of seniors.