Nicola’s Love for Her Violin

     Can love between partners with a 237-year age gap (差距) lead to the perfect match (绝配)? Nicola Benedetti thinks so. The 18-year-old   36   and her “partner, a 255-year-old Italian violin,   37   to China for the first time last weekend. She   38   in Beijing on September 15 and also performed in Hangzhou and Shanghai.

     Nicola is from Scotland and   39   playing the violin when she was four years old.   40  , it was not something her parents   41   her do. She went with her sister to violin lessons and   42   it and improved very quickly.

     “There are so many different things I am fond of about the   43  ,” she said. “I can’t really   44   it but I love giving live performances, I like the feeling of playing and communicating with the   45  . I love the feeling of the violin under my chin (下巴).”

     However, playing violin six hours a day is not a/an   46   job. “I usually   47   in an upstairs bedroom when I’m at home.” she said. “But sometimes, when it’s   48   outside, it can be upset. The house is right on the   49   and I can see others having fun   50   I’m on my own.”

     Although practising is sometimes lonely, Nicola   51   felt she was lucky. “You can’t have    52  . I am really lucky to do what I love doing,” she said. Her   53   paid off (终有回报). Nicola won BBC Young Musician of the Year in 2004 at 16.

       54   her performing and recording activities, Nicola is a/an   55  of UNICEF (联合国儿童基金会). She said that she would travel to Lesotho in southern Africa at the end of this year to help poor kids there.

A. singer                 B. writer                C. pianist              D. violinist

A. came                 B. turned                 C. ran                       D. moved

A. checked                  B. played                    C. visited                D. remained

A. stopped                        B. requested                  C. started                     D. ignored

A. So                            B. And                        C. But                          D. However

A. made                       B. persuaded                C. wanted                    D. got

A. noticed                  B. concerned                C. minded                D. loved

A. lessons                B. violin               C. performances           D. show

A. explain                     B. imagine             C. determine              D. refuse

A. foreigners                  B. friends                         C. audience                  D. teenagers

A. boring                      B. easy                  C. wonderful             D. tiring

A. work                  B. rest              C. stay                        D. practise

A. cool                    B. sunny                C. windy               D. cloudy

A. river                         B. hill                      C. farm                        D. beach

A. while                     B. as                   C. so                       D. for

A. even                     B. still              C. ever                   D. almost

A. anything                 B. something            C. everything                      D. nothing

A. time                  B. music              C. efforts                     D. action

A. Because of            B. Besides              C. Instead of              D. Thanks to

A. adviser                    B. manager              C. organizer                 D. supporter

Given Australia’s size and the fact that early settlements were far apart, Australian society is remarkably homogeneous (同种的). Its citizens are fundamentally prosperous and the way of life in the major cities and towns is much the same however many miles divide them. It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.

However, there is some difference in lifestyle between city dwellers and the country people. Almost 90 per cent of the population lives in the fast-paced cities along the coast and has little more than a passing familiarity with the desert. The major cities preserve pockets of colonial heritage, but the overall impression is modern, with new buildings reflecting the country’s youth. In contrast, the rural communities tend to be slow-moving and conservative. For many years, Australia was said to have “ridden on the sheep’s back”, a reference to wool being the country’s main money earner. However, the wool industry is no longer dominant. Much of Australia’s relatively sound economy is now achieved from natural coal and wheat, and by being the largest diamond producer in the world. Newer industries such as tourism and wine making are also increasingly important. Australians are generally friendly and relaxed, with a self-deprecating sense of humor. On the whole, Australia is a society without hierarchies (等级制度), an attitude generally held to stem from its prisoner beginnings.

Yet, contrary to widespread belief, very few Australians have true prisoner origins. Within only one generation of the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788, Australia had become a nation of immigrants. Originally coming almost entirely from the British Isles, today one in three Australians comes from elsewhere. Australia’s liberal postwar immigration policies led to an influx of survivors from war-torn Europe, most notably Greeks, Italians, Poles and Germans.

The emphasis has shifted in recent years and today the majority of new immigrants are from Southeast Asia. Today Australia is a ‘blend of nations’ and although some racism exists, it has generally been a successful experiment and the country is justifiably proud to have one of the most harmonious multicultural communities in the world.

What does the writer mean by saying “It takes a sharp ear to identify regional accents.” in the first paragraph?

A. Australians speak Standard English with no local accents.

B. You have to practice a lot to learn to understand the different accents.

C. The Australian regional accents are very difficult to understand indeed.

D. There is not much difference between the accents in different areas of Australia.

Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A. Most Australians have ancestors who were prisoners.

B. The Australian economy is dependent on sheep exports.

C. The majority of people living in Australia come from Europe.

D. The pace of life is different in the city and in the country.

The underlined pronoun ‘it’ in the final paragraph refers to “_______”.

A. Community              B. Racism      

C. Blend of Nations          D. Southeast Asia

We can infer from the passage that _____.

A. there are no signs of Australia’s colonial past in its modern cities

B. Australia’s recent immigration policy encourages immigrants from Southeast Asia

C. immigrants from Southeast Asia have brought racial problems

D. “riding on sheep’s back” resulted in slow development in rural communities

This passage mainly focuses on Australia’s ______.

A. society         B. economy       C. racial problems      D. history

---- How long do you suppose it is ________he arrived here?

   -----No more than half a week.

      A．since           B．before          C．after            D．when

I’ll go to fight in the battle __________ you go or not .

阅读下面短文，掌握其大意．然后从1—15各题所给的A、B、C和D项中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

If you find out that your best friend is developing feeling for you and the feelings are in no way mutual (共通的), the sooner you communicate this the better .

   Sometimes having to be the person who does the rejecting is __1__ than being rejected, ___2___ the person you have to hurt is your dearest friend. The key is to be gentle, but not so gentle that he or she doesn’t get it. If you ___3__ it before he says anything , it is possible you can __4_  him some of the humiliation(羞辱). You can just happen to mention that you are so happy that you don’t have to___5__ the ups and downs of romance with him. “Aren’t we lucky to have such a close friendship without having to worry about?” If he brings it up to you, just remember ___6___ kind to his heart. So many things you could say have become a cliché(老生常谈), such as “ I don’t want to risk losing what we have now.” Of course, if that is how you feel then say it anyway. The most reassuring thing you can do for him is to__7__ not to let his admission hurt the friendship. Even though the first response will be to the “rejection” later, he or she will worry about the friendship __8___. If you want to show the ultimate respect, keep it ___9__ the two of you. Resist the temptation to tell others. Otherwise, this will only hurt your friend__10__.

    __11__, if the feelings between the two of you are__12___, then this can be a very happy moment. Don’t let your fears ruin it. Yes, it is _13_ to venture into new territory with someone you have been close with as a friend. But the good news is you already know each other well and you like each other. There is always a risk of losing the friendship when and if you _14__, but if you both agree you aren’t going to let that happen, the risk factor _15__ .

A. better          B. worse           C. wiser           D. nicer

A. even if         B. especially if     C. especially       D. if 

A. hear about      B. heard            C. listen to         D. hear from

A. harmed        B. share             C. spare           D. reduced

A. go away with   B. go through      C. go by           D. go over

A. being          B. to be             C. be               D. to have been

A. keep             B. promise          C. avoid            D. permit

A. as well           B. either            C. finally            D. ultimately

A. in                 B. among          C. between        D. away from

A. a little          B. even better      C. much less       D. even more

A. Whatever       B. Whenever        C. At the same timeD. However

A. active           B. mutual           C. affected          D. sensible

A. scary            B. enjoyable       C. funny            D. lucky

A. break down     B. break up        C.  break out      D. break off

A. increases        B. decreases        C. remains         D. exists

“Sesame Street” has been called “the longest street in the world.” That is because the television program by that name can now be seen in so many parts of the world. That program became one of American’s exports soon after it went on the air in New York in 1969. ?

In the United States more than six million children watch the program regularly. The viewers include more than half the nation’s pre-school children, from every kind of economic, racial(种族的), and geographical group. ?

Although some educators object to certain elements in the program, parents praise it highly. Many teachers also consider it a great help, though some teachers find that problems arise when first graders who have learned from “Sesame Street” are in the same class with children who have not watched the program. ?

Tests have shown that children from all racial, geographical, and economic backgrounds have benefited from watching it. Those who watch it five times a week learn more than occasional(偶尔的）viewer. In the US the program is shown at different hours during the week in order to increase the number of children who can watch it regularly. ?

The programs all use songs stories, jokes and pictures to give children a basic understanding of numbers, letters and human relationships. But there are some differences. For example, the Spanish program, produced in Mexico City, devotes more time to teaching whole words than to teaching separate letters. ?

Why has “Sesame Street” been so much more successful than other children’s shows? Many reasons have been suggested. People mention the educational theories of its creators, the support by the government and private businesses, and the skillful use of a variety of TV tricks. Perhaps an equally important reason is that mothers watch it along with their children. This is partly because famous adult stars often appear on it. But the best reason for the success of the program may be that it makes every child watching feel able to learn. The child finds himself learning, and he wants to learn more. ?

“Sesame Street” is actually______. ?

A. a street in the US                     B. a program for children?

C. a program of teachers                  D. a program for students?

Children who often watch the program______. ?

A. can have problems in school             B. will find it a great help?

C. will take no interest in their studies        D. will be well educated?

What is special about the program?

A. It offers great fun. ?

B. It makes children feel able to learn. ?

C. It is shown at different hours during the week. ?

D. Children learn and enjoy themselves while watching. ?

Why is “Sesame Street” so popular in the world?

A. Because it is supported by the government and businesses. ?

B. Because it uses a variety of skillful tricks. ?

C. Because mothers watch it along with their children. ?

D. Because it makes every child watching it feel able to learn. ?

The best title for this passage can be______. ?

A. TV Programs                   B. Educating Children?

C. Sesame Street                   D. A Greet Success?

It was from only a few supplies that she had bought in the village          the hostess cooked such a nice dinner.

A. where               B. which               C. when                   D. that

It’s          good feeling for people to admire the Shanghai World Expo that gives them              pleasure.

A.不填，a              B. a,不填              C. the ,a                       D. a, the

I _____ it as a basic principle of the company that suppliers of raw materials should be given a fair price for their products.

A. make            B. look                  C. take                D. think

On his way home, he found a wallet ___ on the ground, which he picked up and ____ in his schoolbag.

A. lying, laid      B. laying, laid      C. laid, lay          D. lain, lay