I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.

It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自闭的).

Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.

Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.

That’s right. He only has to hear it once.

Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.

With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自动唱机) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.

As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.

If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.

Who says there’s nothing good on TV?

1. From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on      .

A.  interviewing celebrities

B.  interviewing the disabled

C.  the latest news round the world

D.  stating the positive influence of TV

2. How does Derek help the elderly?

A.  By buying them a jukebox machine.

B.  By building senior centers for them.

C.  By singing the old songs they ask for.

D.  By playing the piano to raise money for them.

3. In the opinion of the author, Derek can     .

A.  attract the whole family to watch TV together

B.  cause family members to help the disabled

C.  help kids understand the ability of their brains

D.  encourage kids to accept challenges in life

4.The author’s purpose in writing this passage is to     .

A.  prove that there is something good on TV

B.  introduce a disabled but gifted musician

C.  call on people to show more love to the disabled

D.  express personal admiration for Derek Paravicini

I often write about the bad state of television these days, but recently my mom told me about a story she saw on 60 Minutes that was inspiring, educational, and entertaining for the whole family. I went to the show’s website to see for myself. My mom was right. At a time when even Barbara Walters says she’s really bored with celebrities interviews, this one will not disappoint.
It’s the story of Derek Paravicini, a 30-year-old who was born three months early, physically disabled (he can’t button his own shirt), blind, and severely autistic(自闭的).
Yet, through total luck and coincidence, his family discovered that Derek had a remarkable musical talent when he was three.
Derek can hear any musical composition one time and play it perfectly on the piano.
That’s right. He only has to hear it once.
Even more unbelievable, his brain, like a computer, can keep many songs that he can immediately repeat when asked. But his talent isn’t limited to just learning things by heart. Derek is a true musical genius and artist who plays beautifully in a wide range of styles and can make his own music.
With his talent, Derek has raised millions of dollars putting on charity concerts. He also donates his time to senior centers where he acts as a human jukebox (自动唱机) machine, taking requests from senior citizens who haven’t heard their favorite songs for decades.
As it turns out, Derek loves people and his extraordinary talent has been the key to unlocking his personality and social development.
If you want to inspire your family, pop some popcorn and sit everyone down to watch this excellent piece of journalism. If your kids are like mine, it will cause a great family discussion about the definition of “disability” and the extraordinary ability of the human brain and spirit. It may even give you the perfect answer the next time your child says he or she “can’t” do something. Now that’s priceless.
Who says there’s nothing good on TV?
【小题1】 From the first paragraph, we know that 60 minutes is a TV program on      .

When you are little，it’s not hard to believe you can change the world．I remember my enthusiasm when，at the age of 12，I addressed the people at the Rio Earth Summit．“I am only a child，” I told them．“Yet I know that if all the money spent on war was spent on ending poverty and finding environmental answers，what a wonderful place this world would be．At school you teach us not to fight with others，to work things out，to respect others，to clean up our mess，not to hurt other creatures，to share，not to be greedy．Then why do you go out and do the things you tell us not to do．You grown-ups say you love us，but I challenge you，please，to make our actions reflect your words．”

    I spoke for six minutes and received a standing ovation．Some of the people even cried．I thought that maybe I had reached some of them，that my speech might actually spur（刺激） action．Now，ten years from Rio，after I’ve sat through many more conferences，I’m not sure what has been achieved．My confidence in the people in power and in he power of an individual’s voice to reach them has been deeply shaken．

When I was little，the world was simple．But as a young adult，I’m learning that as we have to make choices-education，career，lifestyle-life gets more and more complicated（复杂）．We are beginning to feel pressure to produce and be successful．We are taught that economic growth is progress，but we aren’t taught how to seek a happy，healthy way of living．And we are learning that what we wanted for the future when we were 12 was idealistic and naive（天真）．

    Today I’m no longer a child，but I’m worried about what kind of environment my children will grow up in．I know change is possible，because I am changing，still figuring out what I think．I am still deciding how to live my life．The challenges are great，but if we accept individual responsibility and make choices，we will rise to the challenges，and we will become part of the positive tide of the change．I hope this goal will be met through our common efforts．

    Thank you all．

1．The purpose of what the writer said at the age of 12 was to ________．

A．end poverty and make school beautiful

B．find environmental answers and show off

C．call on people to solve the problems about poverty and environment

D．find a wonderful place and clean it up

2．What does the underlined word “ovation” in the second paragraph refer to?

A．A long period of laughing．

B．A warm welcome．

C．An expression used for greeting．

D．People clapped their hands for a long time．

3．The writer is now probably _________.

A．in his teens        B．in his twenties     

C．in his thirties      D．in his forties

4．Judging from the style of the passage，we can conclude that it may be taken from________.

A．a novel      B．a report     C．a speech     D．a composition

I decided to go back to school in the fall of 2008 after not being happy with my current job and financial status. I obtained my Associate’s Degree in May 2002 in Commercial Arts. After graduation, I had trouble obtaining a job in that field. For years, I was going from one job to another feeling unfilled, and I was not satisfied with the instability.

    I decided to go back to school for either International Business or Psychology. I weighed the pros and cons of both professions and Psychology won. I like helping my friends and family, when they go through hard situations in their life by giving them sound advice and being honest with them. Also, I was interested in “the mind”.

    I was searching for online schools because my work schedule at my current job would not allow me to attend a regular class. I was nervous about starting online classes because I heard mixed stories from other friends who were taking online classes. I decided to do it anyway to experience something different. I wanted to find an online school that was affordable and reputable. Through my search, I discovered Walden University, which is specially for working adults who want to obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher. The process of getting accepted was easy, which included writing an essay on why I wanted to attend their school, transferring my previous credits, etc.

    I am currently enrolled in the Bachelors program for psychology, and I am paying for college via financial-aid loans and grants. This experience has been interesting yet trying as sometimes it was difficult to balance work, school and home life. I learned a lot about psychology and myself. For example, I like writing about current events, relationships and traveling. I thought my English composition was ordinary, but after taking a few classes at Walden University, I improved my English composition and it made me feel confident enough to start writing professionally so I became a freelance (自由撰稿) writer. Currently, I am only three classes away from obtaining my Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology! It was one of the best decisions I made in my life.

1.What did the author study originally when he was in college?

A. Psychology  B. Commercial Arts   C. International Business   D. English Composition

2.What do we know about the author from Paragraph 2?

A. He decided to study International Business at first.

B. He wanted to study two majors.

C. He liked Psychology better.

D. He chose his major with the help of his friends.

3.Why was the author nervous about starting online classes?

A. Because he heard some negative remarks about it.

B. Because he was worried that he didn’t have enough time to study.

C. Because he feared he would fail the entrance exam.

D. Because he was afraid that he didn’t have enough money.

4.Which of the following best describes the author’s learning experience?

A. Dull and challenging.             B. Interesting and easy.  

C. Interesting and challenging.        D. Dull and easy

5.According to the passage, the author _________.

A. was not able to find a full-time job

B. is most interested in writing

C. pays for his schooling with the help of his family

D. is satisfied with his achievements.