As a music teacher for twenty-seven years I have always known that music touches the soul. It can break through all kinds of barriers to reach students in a very special way. It can be the means for each child to find their light.
A few years ago I was blessed with the opportunity to teach pre-school students one afternoon a week. One of my most memorable students was Vanessa. She was five years old, had difficulty walking and could not speak. We mostly sat on the floor for our music lessons and Vanessa liked to sit on my lap. One of her favorite songs was John the Rabbit. It was a call and response song where I sang the call and the students clapped two times while singing the repeating phrase “Oh yes!” Vanessa liked to put her hands together with mine and clap with me. We performed that song during every class Vanessa and I clapped together. She never said or sang a word.
One day late in the school year when the song was finished Vanessa turned around, looked at me in the eye, clapped her tiny hands two times and said the words “Oh yes!” I opened my mouth and could not speak. Through music we had made a connection.
Several years later I came across Vanessa on the street in town. I stopped my car and waved to say hello. She waved back with a big smile on her face and then clapped her hands two times mimicking the song we had performed in our music class. This precious little girl through her connection with music left an impression on me that will last forever.
Every child has the ability to learn and grow. It is up to us educators to discover the way to reach each and every one of our students. We all must find each child’s light.
【小题1】The author thinks music__________.

Welcome to the Blue Moon Beachland!

 Check out the COOL things you can enjoy here in the HEAT of August, 2011!

Take Bus 201, 306 or take a taxi. Call 203-2228888 or surf http://www.blue moon. com for more information.

1. What can we do on the Blue Moon Beachland in the first week of August?

A. Enjoy the welcome party.

B. Go bike riding

C. Have cold drinks.

2.When will we enjoy the music shows on the Blue Moon Beachland? '

A. In the morning.          B. In the afternoon.         C. In the evening.

3.Where can we have fresh seafood on the Blue Moon Beachland?

A. In Sand Garden.

b. At Fishermen’s Market.

C. In Gold Street.

4.How can we get to the Blue Moon Beachland?

A. By bus.          B. On foot.         C. By subway.

5.How can we get more information the Blue Moon Beachland?

A. Send an email.

b. Write a letter.

C. Call the phone or surf the Internet.

Charlie，a master carpenter(木匠)，was very well respected in his community．Everyone knew that if they wanted the best，they would call on him．Of course that meant that Charlie would never be rich．Other carpenters always told him that if he used inferior(劣质的)materials and cheap labor then he could make a lot of money．Charlie would not take their advice．

One day，John，the richest man in town came to Charlie．He said that he had just bought the best piece of land in town. He was going to Europe for 4 months and wanted Charlie to build him the best house in town．“Spare no expense and give me the best．”

Charlie thought about this and decided finally he would make some money．He did not get his usual great carpenters and fine materials from his normal suppliers．He built the house and covered up the flaws(瑕疵)．After 4 months he had spent about 50％of what he usually spends on a house．

John came back from Europe and immediately called Charlie and asked him to meet him at the house．When they met，John asked him if he had used the finest materials and spared no expense．Charlie said absolutely(绝对地)．John said that he was glad．He paid Charlie，then told him that he wanted to reward Charlie for all of his years of service to the community by giving Charlie this house．

There are many times in our lives where we let down a little bit. When you do，you never know what is going to happen．

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

A．Charlie was an honest and respected master carpenter．

B．Charlie was a very foolish master carpenter．

C．Charlie was a good but stubborn master carpenter．

D．Charlie was a carpenter who would never be rich．

2.What does the underlined phrase “spare no expense” in the second paragraph mean?

A．to spend no money

B．to spend all the money necessary

C．to give not enough money

D．to waste no money

3.From Paragraph 3 we can learn ___________________ .

A．Charlie did as the rich man told him

B．the house was well built

C．Charlie kept some of the money to himself

D．the house was only half finished after 4 months

4.When Charlie heard that he would be given the house, he must have felt _______ .

A．happy            B．sorry             C．1ucky            D．satisfied

5.What can we learn from the passage?

A．A good carpenter shouldn’t earn money from his labor．

B．A carpenter shouldn’t earn a rich man’s money．

C．The richest man often punished carpenters．

D．One should always be honest．

When I was growing up in America, I was ashamed of my mother’s Chinese English. Because of her English, she was often treated unfairly. People in department stores, at banks, and at restaurants did not take her seriously, pretended not to understand her, or even acted as if they did not hear her.
My mother has realized the disadvantages of her English as well. When I was fifteen, she used to have me call people on phone to pretend I was she. I was forced to ask for information or even to yell at people who had been rude to her. One time I had to call her stockbroker. I said in a voice that was not very convincing, “This is Mrs. Tan.” And my mother was standing beside me, whispering loudly, “Why he doesn’t send me the cheek. It’s already two weeks late.”
And then, in perfect English I said: “I’m getting rather anxious .You agreed to send the check two weeks ago, but it hasn’t arrived.” Then she talked more loudly. “What does he want? I’ll come to New York and say it in front of his boss.” And so I turned to the stockbroker again, “I can’t accept any more excuses. If I don’t receive the check immediately, I have to speak to your manager when I am in New York next week.”
The next week we ended up in New York. While I was sitting there red-faced, my mother, the real Mrs. Tan, was shouting to his boss in her broken English. When I was a teenager, my mother’s broken English embarrassed me. But now, I see it differently. To me, my mother’s English is perfectly clear, perfectly natural. It is my mother tongue. Her language, as I hear it, is clear and direct. It was the language that helped me form the way I saw things, expressed ideas, and made sense of the world.
【小题1】Why was the author’s mother poorly treated?

Welcome to the Blue Moon Beach land!

Check out the COOL things you can enjoy here in the HEAT of August, 2011!

Take Bus 201, 306 or take a taxi. Call 203-2228888 or surf http://www.blue moon. com for more information.

1.What can we do on the Blue Moon Beach land in the first week of August?

A. Enjoy the welcome party.

B.Go bike riding.

C. Have cold drinks.

2.When will we enjoy the music shows on the Blue Moon Beach land? '

A. In the morning.          B. In the afternoon.        C. In the evening.

3.Where can we have fresh seafood on the Blue Moon Beach land?

A. In Sand Garden.

b. At Fishermen’s Market.

C. In Gold Street.

4.How can we get to the Blue Moon Beach land?

A. By bus.          B. On foot.        C. By subway.

5.How can we get more information the Blue Moon Beach land?

A. Send an email.

b. Write a letter.

C. Call the phone or surf the Internet.