Module 4?Music Born in America

touch ? v.

arise ? v.

boom ? v.

budget ? v.

devote ? v.

swap ? v.

yell ? v.

beg ? v.

quit ? v.

movement ? n.

technique ? n.

approach ? n.

decline ? n. ? friction ? n.

harmony ? n.

virtue ? n.

blouse ? n.

consensus ? n.

cheque ? n.

consultant ? n.

bonus ? n.

pace ? n.

schedule ? n.

deadline ? n.

allowance ? n.

pension ? n.

常用短語

side by side

be bored with

take advantage of

rather than ? in order

try out

be blessed with

come out

時間狀語從句和省略。

詞匯短語園地

1. movement ? n. ? 運動，活動，動作

There was a sudden movement in the undergrowth.

矮樹叢里突然有什么東西動了一下。

The police are keeping a close watch on the suspects movements.

警察正在密切監(jiān)視嫌疑犯的活動。

2. technique ? n.（尤指藝術(shù)或科學(xué)方面的）技巧;手法，

技術(shù)

If you want to learn to paint， I suggest you study Raphaels technique.

如果你想學(xué)繪畫，我建議你學(xué)習(xí)拉斐爾的手法。

Let me introduce some of the applications of this technique.

請允許我介紹一些該技術(shù)的應(yīng)用程序。

3. approach ? n. ? 接近，靠近;道路，入口;方法;步驟

v. ? ?走進，靠近;接洽，交涉

（1） approach作為名詞時，意為“接近，靠近;道路，入口;方法;步驟”等。

Our approach drove away the wild animals.

我們一走近，野獸全都跑開了。

All approaches to the town were blocked.

通往這座城鎮(zhèn)的所有道路都被封鎖了。

However， we found some problems in this approach to the language teaching.

不過我們發(fā)現(xiàn)語言教學(xué)的方法上存在一些問題。

（2） approach作為動詞時，意為“走進，靠近”等。

As you approach the town， the first building you see is the church.

當(dāng)你接近那座城鎮(zhèn)的時候，首先看到的就是教堂。

Before trying to solve the puzzle， let us consider the best way to approach it.

要想解決這一難題，我們先來考慮一下如何著手才好。

4. decline ? n. ? 下降，衰退，減少

v. ? ?衰退，下降

（1） decline作為名詞時，意為“下降，衰退，減少”。

There has been a sharp decline in the sales number of this year.

今年銷售量大幅降低。

We are studying the decline of ancient Rome.

我們在研究古羅馬的衰落。

（2） decline作為動詞時，意為“衰退，下降”。

Her influence declined after she lost the election.

她落選后影響力大為降低。

5. touch ? v. ? 觸動;感動;使心動;碰到，觸摸，與……接觸

His sad story touched us and we nearly cried.

他的悲慘遭遇深深打動了我們，我們幾乎哭了出來。

He swore hed never touch a drink again.

他發(fā)誓以后滴酒不沾。

touched ? adj. ? 感激的，受感動的

touching ? adj. ? 令人同情的，感人的

6. arise ? v.（由……）引起（產(chǎn)生），呈現(xiàn)，發(fā)生

Some unexpected difficulties have arisen here.

這兒出現(xiàn)了一些意想不到的困難。

The problem may not arise， but theres no harm in keeping our powder dry.

問題不一定會發(fā)生，但有備無患并無害處。

辨析：比較arise，raise和rise

arise作為不及物動詞時，用來表示困難、問題、機遇等出現(xiàn);raise作為及物動詞時，表示舉起、抬起某物，還可表示撫養(yǎng)，養(yǎng)育;rise作為不及物動詞時，表示某物上升、升起、升高、上漲。

I was raised by my aunt on a farm.

我是在農(nóng)場由姨媽撫養(yǎng)長大的。

The smoke was rising from the chimney.

煙正從煙囪升起來。

7. tight ? adj.（控制）嚴(yán)格的，嚴(yán)密的;緊的，牢的;

排滿的，塞滿的

There was tight security at the airport when the leaders plane landed.

當(dāng)領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人乘坐的飛機降落時，機場已做好嚴(yán)密的安保措施。

Ive got a very tight schedule today so I cant see you until tomorrow.

今天我的日程已經(jīng)排得很滿，所以明天才能見你。

8. otherwise ? adv. ? 否則，要不然;另外，除……以外

Do as youre told， otherwise youll be in trouble.

按說的做，不然你會有麻煩的。

The soup was cold， but otherwise the meal was excellent.

除湯是涼的以外，那頓飯還是很好的。

9. allowance ? n. ? 津貼，補助;零用錢

The scholarship includes an allowance of 200 yuan for books.

獎學(xué)金包括兩百元書本費津貼。

I didnt receive any allowance from my father.

我沒有收到父親給的零用錢。

10. devote ? v. ? 為……付出時間/努力/金錢等;專心致力于

He has devoted his life to helping blind people.

他為幫助盲人而獻出一生。

搭配：

devote... to （sth/doing sth） ? 把……奉獻給……;

把……專用于……

I dont think we should devote any more time to this question.

我認為我們不應(yīng)該在這個問題上再花費時間。

devotion ? n. ? 獻身，奉獻

devoted ? adj. ? 熱愛……的;獻身于……，專心于……

be devoted to ? 對……專注（專一）;專用于……

She is devoted to her children.

她深愛她的孩子。

Most of our meetings were devoted to discussing the housing problem.

我們大部分的會議時間都用來討論住房問題。

11. beg ? v. ? 請求，懇求;乞求，乞討（尤指食物、金錢等）

He begged that he should be sent home.

他請求將他送回家去。

I beg your pardon.

請您原諒。

beg for ? 乞求，請求

The homeless man has to beg for money.

那個無家可歸的人不得不為了錢而乞討。

12. be bored with ? 厭煩

Matt was bored with the whole digging project.

馬特對整個挖掘工作感到厭煩了。

Dont be afraid to tell your supervisor that you are bored with what youre doing and would like a new challenge.

不要害怕告訴上司你對目前的工作感到無聊并希望接受新的挑戰(zhàn)。

13. take advantage of ? 利用

They took full advantage of the hotels facilities.

他們充分利用旅館的設(shè)備。

You should take advantage of the fine weather to paint the fence.

你應(yīng)該利用好天氣給籬笆上油漆。

have the advantage of ? 有……的有利條件

She had the advantage of a good education.

她具有受過良好教育的有利條件。

14. rather than ? 而不是

I think I should have a cup of milk rather than coffee.

我想我應(yīng)該喝一杯牛奶而不是咖啡。

Keep positive by talking about what you like rather than what you dislike.

談?wù)撟约合矚g的事物而不談自己不喜歡的，可以保持樂觀的情緒。

辨析：

比較rather than， other than和prefer to do... rather than do.../would rather do... than do...

（1）rather than意為“而不是，而沒有”，常連接兩個并列成分。

（2）other than意為“除了……”，一般用于否定句中。

You cant get there other than by boat.

除了坐船，你無法到那里去。

（3）prefer to do... rather than do...和would rather do... than do...均意為“寧愿做……而不愿做……”。

I prefer to read rather than watch TV.

我更愿意讀書而不是看電視。

He would rather play than do homework.

他寧愿玩也不愿做作業(yè)。

15. try out （for sth） ? 嘗試;測試，試驗;試演

This will allow team members to try out different writing styles.

這將有助于團隊成員嘗試不同的寫作風(fēng)格。

Shes trying out for the part of Juliet.

她正在試演朱麗葉這個角色。

16. come out ? 出版;出現(xiàn);（指花朵等）開始長出，開花;

（消息等）傳出，透露;洗掉，清除

When will her new book come out？

她的新書什么時候出版？

The peach blossom came out late this year because of the cold weather.

因為天氣寒冷，今年桃花開得晚。

It eventually came out that he had been stealing money from his employers.

他一直都在偷雇主的錢，這事終于暴露了。

Ive washed this shirt twice and the ink still hasnt come out.

這件襯衫我已經(jīng)洗過兩次了，但上面的墨水漬還洗不掉。

come about ? 發(fā)生

come across ? 偶遇

come up with ? 想出，提出

He could not come up with a proper answer.

他想不出一個合適的回答。

17. far from ? 完全不，遠遠不;遠離

Im far from pleased with your behavior.

我對你的表現(xiàn)很不滿意。

The restaurant is not far from here.

飯店離這兒不遠。

18. leave/make an impression on/upon sb ? 給某人留下印象

Her speech made quite an impression on the audience.

她的演說給聽眾留下了相當(dāng)好的印象。

I am sure the film made a deep impression on everybody who saw it.

我敢肯定，這部影片給每個觀眾都留下了深刻的印象。

I Cant Let Him Get Away

A male crab met a female crab and asked her to marry him. She noticed that he was walking straight instead of sideways. “Wow， ” she thought， “this crab is really special. I cant let him get away.” So they got married immediately.

The next day she noticed her new husband walking sideways like all the other crabs， and got upset. “What happened？” she asked. “You used to walk straight before we were married.”

“Oh， honey，” he replied， “I cant drink that much every day.”

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（一）

閱讀理解

A

In late summer or early fall the large， yellow seed heads of sunflowers will be ripening. If gardeners can keep off the birds and other wildlife trying to eat the seeds， they can have a large harvest. The bright yellow blooms will make a rainbow garden， brightening up any space.

However， planting the sunflower seeds is a skilled job. Plant seeds no deeper than the full length of itself. Smaller sized sunflowers can be spaced a foot apart. Larger varieties will need to be spaced as far apart as three feet. This allows ripe plants enough space for the seed heads to ripen without knocking the ripe seeds off before gardeners have a chance to harvest them.

Most sunflower seeds， especially those with eatable seeds， are large enough to handle without the need for seed sorters. This is why sunflowers make an excellent choice for a childrens garden as well. Gardeners will want to mix plenty of soil fertilizers into the ground as sunflowers tend to be heavy feeders.

Sunflowers can be slow starters and the tiny new plants dont seem to grow very rapidly. Gardeners should protect the new plants as they begin to grow. Once they get going， sunflowers are able to outgrow many weeds， making them easier to grow in the home vegetable garden than many other plants.

Most pests and diseases are not a bother to the sunflower， however， more than one gardener has said that their lovely looking plants were ravaged overnight by hungry squirrels， mice or birds. To preserve their harvest， gardeners can cover the ripening seed head with stockings or net cloth to help keep the destroyers off the seeds.

Planting sunflower seeds is easy and can help even the smallest gardener feel successful in their gardening attempts.

1. Why should enough space be left between sunflowers？

A. To prevent birds from eating sunflower seeds.

B. To protect the ripe seed heads before harvest.

C. To offer the sunflowers enough sunlight.

D. To help the sunflowers grow stronger.

2. Why do people tend to choose sunflowers for childrens gardens？

A. They want to decorate their garden with sunflowers.

B. The seeds are easy to plant and unnecessary to sort.

C. Sunflowers dont need too much soil fertilizer.

D. Tiny new sunflowers can grow very fast.

3. Which of the following can replace the underlined word “ravaged” in Paragraph 5？

A. Destroyed. B. Covered.

C. Surrounded. D. Removed.

4. What is the passage mainly about？

A. How to plant sunflowers.

B. Ways to preserve sunflowers.

C. Different kinds of sunflowers.

D. Tips on making your garden bright.

B

James Rumsey was a successful businessman in Bath， Virginia in 1784 when he met George Washington. When the hero of the Revolutionary War stopped in Bath， Rumsey showed Washington his invention. It was a model of a boat using the power of a rivers current to travel against the current. The boat had a set of wheels with two long poles fastened under the boat. Rumsey placed the boat in the Potomac River and the current turned the wheels round and round quickly， which in turn， forced the poles to push against the riverbed moving the boat against the current.

Washington wrote of the invention in his diary on September 6， 1784， “The model， and its operation upon the water， which had been made to run fast， not only made me believe what I before thought， but that it might be turned to the greatest possible means of transportation.” Washington even gave Rumsey a letter stating that he had seen the boat in operation.

The following year， Washington became president of the Patowmac Company. One of Washingtons first problems was he couldnt find anyone with experience of building canal. In July 1785， Washington remembered Rumseys walking boat and decided that Rumsey was the man to build the canal.

Rumsey had continued his work on the mechanical boat， but a full-scale model had not worked as well as the smaller version. The larger boats poles would stick or slip on the bottom of the river and when the boat moved， it lurched （突然前傾） and leaned dangerously.

As making this idea a success seemed to be slipping away， Rumsey turned his sights to a new way to allow a boat to move against the current-steam power. However， Washington employed Rumsey just as he was considering the solution. Washington hired him at an annual salary of 200 pounds.

5. What can we learn about Rumseys invention？

A. It turned out to be practical.

B. It was driven by water power.

C. It was a great means of transportation.

D. It had wheels to push against the riverbed.

6. Seeing the model boat， Washington ___ .

A. drew a picture of it in his diary

B. employed Rumsey at once

C. wrote Rumsey a letter

D. took an interest in it

7. What can we learn about Rumsey from the text？

A. He managed to build the mechanical boat.

B. He became rich owing to his invention.

C. He got great trust from Washington.

D. He gave up his first idea.

8. What can be the best title of this passage？

A. Rumseys Walking Boat

B. Rumsey and Washington

C. A Successful Business Man

D. The History of the Mechanical Boat

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（二）

閱讀七選五

For the rest of March， a disease will sweep across the US. It will keep kids home from school. 1 Employees will suddenly lose their ability to concentrate.

The disease， known as “March Madness”， refers to the yearly 65-team US mens college basketball tournament. 2 Teams compete against each other in a single-elimination （單局淘汰） tournament that eventually crowns a national champion.

Nearly 20 million Americans will find themselves prisoners of basketball festival madness. The fun comes partly from guessing the winners for every game. Friends compete against friends. 3 Colleagues against bosses.

Big-name schools are usually favored to advance into the tournament. But each year there are dark horses from little-known universities.

This adds to the madness. Watching a team from a school with 3，000 students beating a team from a school with 30，000， for many Americans， is an exciting experience. Several years ago， the little-known George Mason University was one of the final teams. 4

College basketball players are not paid， so the game is more about making a name for their university and themselves. 5 About $4 billion will be spent gambling on the event. According to Media Life magazine， the event will bring in $500 million in advertising income this year， topping the post-season income of every US professional league， including that of the NBA.

A. Husbands against wives.

B. The players will go all out for the games.

C. But that doesnt mean money isnt involved.

D. College students will ignore piles of homework.

E. People are willing to spend more money watching it.

F. It begins on March 15 and lasts through the beginning of April.

G. Many people had never heard of the university before the tournament.

1. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?2. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?3. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?4. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?5.

完形填空

People of Burlington are being disturbed by the sound of bells. Four students from Burlington College of Higher Education are in the bell tower of the1and have made up their minds to2the bells non-stop for two weeks as a protest against heavy trucks which3day and night through the narrow High Street.

“They not only make it4to sleep at night， but they are5damage to our houses and shops of historical6 ，” said John Norris， one of the protesters.

“ 7we must have these noisy trucks on the roads，” said Jean Lacey， a biology student， “why dont they build a new road that goes8the town？ Burlington isnt much more than a9village. Its streets were never meant for heavy traffic.”

Harry Fields also studying10said they wanted to make as much11as possible to force the government officials to realize what everybody was having to12 . “Most of them dont live here anyway，” he said. “They13in for meetings， and the Town Hall is soundproof （隔音）， so they probably dont14the noise all that much. Its high time they realized the15 .”

The fourth student， Liza Vernum， said she thought the public were16on their side， and even if they werent， they soon would be.

I asked if they were17that the police might come to stop them.

“Not really，” she said， “actually we are18bell-ringers. I mean we are assistant bell-ringers for the church. There is no19against practising.”

I20the church with the sound of the bells ringing in my ears.

1. A. college B. village C. town D. church

2. A. change B. make C. ring D. shake

3. A. march B. run C. drive D. carry

4. A. terrible B. difficult C. uncomfortable D. unpleasant

5. A. doing B. raising C. increasing D. decreasing

6. A. street B. period C. interest D. sense

7. A. If B. Although C. When D. Unless

8. A. to B. through C. over D. round

9. A. pretty B. quiet C. large D. modern

10. A. physics B. economy C. biology D. education

11. A. effort B. time C. trouble D. noise

12. A. stand B. accept C. know D. hear

13. A. rush B. come C. arrive D. settle

14. A. notice B. mention C. fear D. control

15. A. event B. loss C. action D. problem

16. A. hardly B. unwillingly C. mostly D. usually

17. A. surprised B. afraid C. pleased D. determined

18. A. proper B. experienced C. hopeful D. serious

19. A. point B. reason C. need D. law

20. A. left B. found C. reached D. passed

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（三）

閱讀理解

A

The first Europeans came to America in 1492 with Christopher Columbus. Since that time people have come to America from all over the world—Europe， Africa， Asia and so on. And they have brought their music with them. This mixing of people and music has created American music.

Music is a very important part of our lives. Music is for dancing， drinking， eating， loving， and thinking. Some songs remind us of our childhood or youth.

Others remind of the people they love. Many important occasions， like weddings and funerals have special music. Every nation has a national song like the American “The Star ?Spangled Banner”. In the US high schools and colleges have school songs too.

Music is a part of the history of America. It expresses the problems and feelings of its people. As the years pass， the music grows and changes.

Modern science has also changed music. Inventions like records， radios， movies， electric instruments， tape recorders， and videos have changed the way we play and listen to music. They have helped to make music an important form of international communication.

American music， from the earliest folk songs to modern “pop”， is known around the world. Music is one of Americas most important exports. It brings the people of the world together. Even when people cannot understand the same language， they can share the same music. Many people learn and practise English by singing songs. Understanding American music can help you understand American people， their history and culture.

So， as the song says， “Put a dime （10 cents） in the juke box （自動點唱機）， baby. Lets listen to the music！”

1. What can we know about American music？

A. It has changed modern science in the US.

B. It is popular all around the world.

C. It began in the 1590s.

D. It is special.

2. From Paragraph 6 we can learn that American music .

A. is the most popular

B. consists of folk and pop songs

C. can help us know more about America

D. brings about financial benefits for America

3. Which of the following is TRUE about music？

A. It is used to express good feelings.

B. It is created for special occasions.

C. It changes as time goes on.

D. It is a must in life.

4. What does the passage mainly talk about？

A. What American music is.

B. How American music developed.

C. When American music developed.

D. Why American music is so popular.

B

Lie in bed， by an open window， and listen. “No air conditioning， how can you sleep？” A friend asks， horrified. I tell her my family has decided to shut the air conditioner off and reduce our electric bill. On this first night of our cost-cutting plan， its only 85 degrees. Were going to suffer， but the three kids complain anyway.

Theyve grown up in 72-degree comfort， protected from the world outside. “Its too hot to sleep，” my 13-year-old daughter complains. “Im about to die from this heat，” her brother complains down the hall. “Just try it tonight，” I tell them. In truth Im too tired to turn for long. My face is sweaty， but I lie quietly listening to the cricket choirs outside that remind me of my childhood.

The neighbors dog howls. Probably a passing squirrel. Its been years since I took the time to really listen to the night.

I think about grandma， who lived to 92 and still helped with my moms gardening until just a few weeks before she died. And then， Im back there at her house in the summer heat of my childhood. I moved my pillow to the foot of grandmas bed and turned my face towards the open window. I turned the pillow， hunting for the cooler side. Grandma saw me turn over and over. “If you just watch for the breeze，” she said， “youll cool off and fall asleep.”

I stare at the filmy white curtain， willing it to move. Lying still， waiting， I suddenly notice the life outside the window. The bug chorus. Neighbors， sitting late on the porch （門廊）， speak in unclear words that calm me.

“Mom， did you hear that？” My seven-year-old son cries. “I think it was an owl （貓頭鷹） family.”

“Probably，” I tell him. “Just keep listening.”

Without the working air conditioner， the house is peaceful， and the natural night noises seem close enough to touch. I hope Im awake tonight when the first breeze comes in.

5. On the first night of the writers cost-cutting plan， her children .

A. feel unhappy

B. suffer from great pain

C. are about to die from the heat

D. are protected from the world outside

6. The author talks about her grandmother and her childhood to say that .

A. people used to live a hard life

B. people in the past were hard-working

C. its OK for people to live a simple life

D. she has learned a great deal from her grandma

7. In the writers eyes， her children are .

A. lacking in real test of hardship in life

B. dependent because of parents love

C. full of dissatisfaction with life

D. free from parents protection

8. What can be the best title for the passage？

A. Waiting for the Breeze

B. An Interesting Experience

C. Life at Present and Life in the Past

D. Different Times， Different Children

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（四）

完形填空

Some myths are stories told since ancient times to explain the causes of natural happenings. The Greek myth that explains why there are changes of1is about Demeter， the goddess of the harvest. She had a daughter， Persephone， whom she loved very much. Hades， god of the underworld， fell in love with Persephone， and he2Zeus， the ruler of the gods， to give Persephone to him as his3 . Zeus did not want either to disappoint Hades or to upset Demeter， so he said he would not agree to the marriage， but neither would he4it. Hades， therefore， decided to take the girl without5 . When Persephone was picking flowers in the garden， he seized her and took her to the underworld. When Demeter6what happened to Persephone， she became so7that she caused all plants to8growing. People were in danger of9 . But Demeter was determined not to let crops grow10her daughter， Persephone， was returned to her. Zeus， still not wanting to11Hades， decided upon a condition for Persephones12 . She could go back to her mother if she had not13anything while she was in the underworld. Demeter14it because she did not know that Persephone had eaten several pomegranate （石榴） seeds in the underworld. When Zeus15this， he agreed that Persephone could spend part of the year with her16 ， but he added that since she had eaten the seeds， she must spend part of the year in the underworld. And so it17that when Persephone is in the underworld， Demeter is sad and therefore will not let the18grow. That is19we have winter when plants do not grow. When Persephone returns， Demeter is20 ， it is spring， and plants begin to grow again.

1. A. periods B. seasons C. time D. history

2. A. advised B. asked C. thought D. ordered

3. A. wife B. lover C. partner D. assistant

4. A. forbid B. forgive C. admit D. receive

5. A. arrangement B. warning C. reason D. permission

6. A. recognized B. saw C. considered D. knew

7. A. excited B. tired C. angry D. serious

8. A. finish B. delay C. stop D. avoid

9. A. starving B. disappearing C. freezing D. fighting

10. A. since B. until C. after D. when

11. A. see B. disappoint C. help D. call

12. A. return B. change C. marriage D. journey

13. A. stolen B. found C. eaten D. heard

14. A. allowed B. refused C. doubted D. accepted

15. A. discovered B. studied C. forgot D. prepared

16. A. daughter B. mother C. god D. husband

17. A. works B. remains C. happens D. begins

18. A. seeds B. people C. flowers D. crops

19. A. where B. because C. why D. how

20. A. moved B. friendly C. surprised D. happy

語法填空

Once upon a time， there was a king in a big， rich country. The king was quite fond of ? ?1 ? ?（travel）. However， he didnt like to travel in his own country. Instead he went to other ? ?2 ? ?（country）. One day， he gathered his army to go to a ? ?3 ? ?（distance） country. After walking for the whole morning in the forest， the king and his soldiers made camp ? ?4 ? ?（have） a rest.

The horses were also tired， so they ? ?5 ? ?（feed） on peas. A monkey saw the peas， so he jumped down from the tree to get some of them. While he ? ?6 ? ?（eat）， one pea fell from his hand to the ground. The greedy monkey dropped all the peas he had and ran down to look for the pea， ? ?7 ? ?he failed.

The king was watching the monkey from the camp and said to

8 ? ?（he）， “I should not be like this stupid monkey ? ?9 ? ?lost so much to gain so little. I will go back to my own country and enjoy

10 ? ?I have.” Thus， the king and his army marched back to their own country.

1. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?2. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?3. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?4. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?5.

6. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?7. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?8. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?9. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?10.

短文改錯

One day， Dad and I was taking a walk by the lake when a boy rode by with a very high speed. Suddenly， we heard the loud scream. We turned around and saw the boy struggle in the lake， crying out help. Dad and I ran towards him quickly and had pulled him out of the water. However， the boy rode away immediate without saying “Thank you.” I felt disappointing at his behavior. To my surprises， the boy came back with hot drinks and dry towels several minutes later. Seeing this， I knew I had misunderstood her and felt ashamed of myself.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（五）

閱讀理解

You dash through a crowded railway station， tripping over bags， spilling （潑出） your coffee， only to have the doors slide shut in your face， leaving you breathless on the platform as the train pulls away.

But at least， if youre in France， someone may be playing the piano for you. But it wont be performed by a paid musician， or even a street entertainer playing for coins. It will just be a random passer-by， jamming for the fun of it on one of the pianos that the national railroad company， S. N. C. F.， has fixed in nearly 100 stations across France. They are free for anyone to play， and travelers from all walks of life have taken to doing just that.

Gares & Connexions， the S. N. C. F. division that manages its stations， rents the instruments from the producer， Yamaha： which maintains them and tunes them every month or two. The first one was set up in the Gare Montparnasse in Paris in 2012.

The music， mixed with the sounds of shouting passengers， screaming trains and rolling suitcases， gives French stations a special soundscape. The amateur musicians have included Irish soccer fans and even babies. In 2014， Gares & Connexions and Yamaha organized a nationwide contest called Your Turn to Play， asking participants to submit （提交） videos of themselves using one of the pianos. It drew nearly 900 entries.

Isnt the railroad company taking a big chance？ Apparently not. “None of the instruments has been vandalized to this day， or even merely damaged，” said Claire Foumon， a spokeswoman for Gares & Connexions. “They are shared and respected by all.”

So if you miss a train in Paris， Bordeaux or Marseille one day， perhaps someone will be playing a favorite piece that will ease your pain. Or perhaps youll sit down and play your annoyance away yourself.

1. Why did Gares & Connexions fix pianos in railway stations？

A. To advertise Yamahas products.

B. To make stations more attractive.

C. To let travelers have a relaxing trip.

D. To help street artists make a living.

2. What can we infer from Paragraph 4？

A. The contest has proved a hit.

B. The pianos are very popular.

C. Railway stations are crowded.

D. Everyone can be an amateur musician.

3. What does the underlined word “vandalized” in Paragraph 5 probably mean？

A. Selected carefully. B. Checked regularly.

C. Reserved in advance. D. Destroyed on purpose.

4. What can be the best title for the text？

A. Miss a Train yet Catch a Tune

B. A Soundscape in the Memory

C. The Role of Piano in French Life

D. An Amazing Train with a Piano Bar

閱讀七選五

Being a teenager can be tough. “Troubled” and “rebellious （叛逆的）” are often labels that people give kids in their teens. There are even scientific theories explaining that the likelihood of teenagers taking is due to the fact that their brains arent fully developed yet. 1

But a new study by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania and Cornell University may have finally cleared up this misunderstanding. 2 They simply are easily attracted by new things and are eager to explore the world.

The adolescents lack experience. 3 This personality trait （特征） is called “sensation seeking”， which is shared by a lot of people and usually peaks during adolescence.

Instead of being something to worry about， sensation seeking is actually necessary， since the process of learning usually goes hand in hand with taking risks. “Teenagers need to build experience so that they can do a better job in making the difficult and risky decisions in later life. ‘Should I take this job？ or ‘4” said Valerie Reyna， co-author of the study.

“5 If they dont make a mistake in their teenage years， they will have no life experience when they turn 18 and step out of their parents protection and into a world thats unknown to them. Kids need the freedom to test out boundaries while still in a safe environment，” wrote Ann Robinson， editor of The Guardian.

A. Should I marry this person？

B. Adolescents should do as follows.

C. It turns out that teenagers are fine.

D. In other words， they just cant help it.

E. What can parents do to help the kids？

F. Theres something scarier than taking a risk.

G. Therefore， they keep trying things out for the first time in their life.

1. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?2. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?3. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?4. ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?5.

跟蹤導(dǎo)練（六）

閱讀理解

George Gershwin， born in 1898， was one of Americas greatest composers. He published his first song when he was eighteen years old. During the next twenty years he wrote more than five hundred songs.

Many of Gershwins songs were first written for musical plays performed in theatres in New York City. These plays were a popular form of entertainment in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of his songs have remained popular as ever. Over the years they have been sung and played in every possible way—from jazz to country.

In the 1920s there was a debate in the United States about jazz music. Could jazz， some people asked， be considered serious music？ In 1924 jazz musician and orchestra leader Paul Whiteman decided to organize a special concert to show that jazz was serious music. Gershwin agreed to compose something for the concert before he realized he had just a few weeks to do it. And in that short time， he composed a piece for piano and orchestra which he called Rhapsody in Blue. Gershwin himself played the piano at the concert. The audience were thrilled when they heard his music. It made him world-famous and showed that jazz music could be both serious and popular.

In 1928， Gershwin went to Paris. He applied to study composition （作曲） with the well-known musician Nadia Boulanger， but she rejected him. She was afraid that classical study would ruin his jazz-influenced style. While there， Gershwin wrote An American in Paris. When it was first performed， critics （評論家） were divided over the music. Some called it happy and full of life， to others it was silly and boring. But it quickly became popular in Europe and the United States. It still remains one of his most famous works.

George Gershwin died in 1937， just days after doctors learned he had brain cancer. He was only thirty-nine years old. Newspapers all over the world reported his death on their front pages. People mourned the loss of the man and all the music he might have still written.

1. Many of Gershwins musical works were .

A. written about New Yorkers

B. performed in various ways

C. composed for Paul Whiteman

D. played mainly in the countryside

2. What do we know about the concert organized by Whiteman？

A. It caused a debate among jazz musicians.

B. It made Gershwin leader of the orchestra.

C. It proved jazz could be serious music.

D. It attracted more people to theatres.

3. What can we learn about Gershwin during his stay in Paris？

A. He studied with Nadia Boulanger.

B. He created one of his best works.

C. He argued with French critics.

D. He changed his music style.

4. Which of the following best describes Gershwin？

A. Serious and boring.

B. Friendly and honest.

C. Popular and unhappy.

D. Talented and productive.

書面表達

假如你是李華，當(dāng)假期來臨的時候，越來越多的人選擇去名校參觀，但有的人反對將校園變?yōu)槁糜蔚?。請你就此現(xiàn)象給英國筆友Peter寫一封信，闡述你的看法。內(nèi)容應(yīng)包括：

1. 存在的現(xiàn)象;

2. 自己的看法。

注意：

1. 詞數(shù)100左右;

2. 可以適當(dāng)增加細節(jié)，以使行文連貫;

3. 信的開頭和結(jié)尾已給出，不計入總詞數(shù)。

Dear Peter，

How are you going these days？

Best wishes.

Yours，

Li Hua

Denver was one of the most popular musical artists during the 1970s. He was known for his songs about the beauty of nature. He was also a human rights and environmental activist.

He was born Henry John Deutschendorf， Junior in nineteen forty-three in Roswell， New Mexico. Johns grandmother gave him his first musical instrument when he was seven years old. When he began performing， he changed his last name to Denver.

In 1965， John Denver joined the band called the Chad Mitchell Trio. He later left the group to perform alone. His first hit record was “Take Me Home， Country Road” in 1971.

He had a very successful career with hit songs like “Sunshine On My Shoulders”， “Annies Song” and “Thank God Im A Country Boy”. This song， “Rocky Mountain High”， is one of the official songs of Colorado.

John Denver sold more than ten million albums around the world. He is the most famous musician in the history of American music. He received many music industry awards. He used his popularity to support environmental causes. He started an environmental education and research center.

In 1997， John Denver was killed at the age of 54 when the plane he was piloting crashed.

丹佛是20世紀(jì)70年代最受歡迎的音樂藝術(shù)家之一，以演唱描述自然之美的歌曲著名，他同時也是一位人權(quán)以及環(huán)境保護主義運動家。

約翰·丹佛1943年生于美國西南部的新墨西哥州羅斯維爾城，原名亨利·約翰·得奇道夫二世。7歲時，祖母送給他第一件樂器。他開始表演生涯后，改名為丹佛。

1965年，約翰·丹佛加入樂隊查德·米歇爾三重唱。后來他離開樂隊單飛，于1971年發(fā)行第一張熱銷唱片《鄉(xiāng)村路帶我回家》，一舉成名。

約翰·丹佛因演唱《肩上陽光》《安妮的歌曲》《感謝上帝我是個鄉(xiāng)下孩子》等曲目紅遍美國。丹佛的歌曲《高高的洛基山上》是科羅拉多州的官方歌曲之一。

約翰·丹尼的唱片全球銷量過千萬，獲獎無數(shù)，在美國音樂史上他的地位無人可敵。他用其影響力支持環(huán)保事業(yè)，建立了環(huán)境保護教育和研究中心。

1997年，約翰·丹佛因飛機失事身亡，終年54歲。