It gives me great pleasure today to say a few words in praise of a man we will all miss very much. To be honest, I can’t imagine we will do without him when he’s gone. Bill Masters almost single-handed built up our sales force in the Houston area and developed the market position that we enjoy today. In only six years, he has brought the firm from a very low fifth position in the area sales to the point where we now outsell all but one of our competitors. Not only have we got 37 per cent of the market under Bill’s leadership; we are increas¬ing our share with each passing month.
As you know, the company has moved Bill to northern California to work his sales magic in one of this company’s competitive areas. But we know that if anyone can do it, Bill Masters can, and I know you all join me in wishing him the best of luck in his new work.
1. The speech was made ________.
A. at a welcome meeting B. after someone died
C. when somebody was leaving D. when they had a new manager
2. How long did Masters work there?
A. 37 years. B. Less than 5 years.
C. About six years. D. Since he began to work.
3 When Bill started to work in Houston area, he had to help him.
A. many people B. nobody C. about 37 people D. very few people
4. Bill increased the company’s sale________.
A. by 37 per cent every month B. to the second largest in the area
C. to be the fifth largest in the area D. five times as much as before
A man who served 11 years in prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering his wife was officially cleared yesterday, walking free from Jingshan County People's Court—the same body that sentenced him to a 15year jail term in 1998—as over 2000 local residents cheered.
“Police and other law enforcers made the errors,”39yearold She Xianglin told China Daily, “I believe the law will punish them and give me a just result.”
The original conviction came based on a confession which She said was extracted under police torture and the misidentification of a still-unknown woman's body.
“The provincial Hubei government has sent a team of police, procurators and high people's court officials to investigate the case,” a spokesperson for the Jingmen government, which administrates Jingshan County, said yesterday.
The miscarriage of justice only came to light when Shen's wife, Zhang Zaiyu, resurfaced late last month after being thought missing for 11 years.
This was despite at least five letters from Zhang to her brother over the last two years, which he said he didn't report to police because he thought they were a hoax.
Zhang disappeared in January 1994 from Yanmenkou Township, and 3 months later a body was found in a pond that her relatives positively identified.
Local police arrested Shen for murder in April 1994,although questions had been raised about discrepancies between the features and clothes of the body and Zhang. Confirmation through DNA testing had not been attempted.
Zhang Chengmao, Shen's lawyer, said yesterday he would seek State compensation “but we have not reached a figure yet”.
When asked about compensation, Shen said, “My mother, who died from the stress of continually appealing, cannot be bought. Eleven years of freedom cannot be bought. Schooling of my daughter that was stopped because of poverty cannot be bought.”
As for his wife, the man said he did not hate her at all. “If she had not reappeared, maybe I would have been wronged for life,” he said.
He also said he did not plan to sue Zhang for bigamy, though she had remarried in Shandong Province without divorcing him.
Why did She Xianglin served 11 years in prison?
A.Because She Xianglin was convicted of murdering his wife. |
B.Because the Police and other law enforcers made the errors. |
C.Because through DNA testing the dead woman was his wife. |
D.Because her wife was missing. |
Which of the following is NOT true?
A.The miscarriage of justice only came to light when Shen's wife reappeared. |
B.The man said he did not hate her at all. |
C.Zhang Zaiyu wrote at least five letters to her brother over the last two years to hoax him. |
D.She Xianglin's mother died from the stress of continually appealing. |
We can infer from the passage _______.
A.She Xianglin will get State compensation |
B.She Xianglin's daughter dropped out of school because of poverty |
C.She Xianglin stayed in prison for 11 years |
D.who murdered the woman is known to all |
The underlined word “cleared” in the first paragraph means _______.
A.清除 | B.宣告无罪 | C.(天气)变晴 | D.移走物体 |
Jane Austen, a famous English writer, was born at Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16,1775,and died on July 18,1817.She began writing early in life, although the prejudices of her times forced her to have her books published anonymously(匿名).
But Jane Austen is perhaps the best known and best loved of Bath's many famous local people and visitors. She paid two long visits here during the last five years of the eighteenth century and from 1801 to 1806,Bath was her home. Her deep knowledge of the city is fully seen in two of her novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, which are largely set in Bath. The city is still very much as Jane Austen knew it, keeping in its streets and public buildings the well-ordered world that she described so well in her novels. Now the pleasure of learning Jane Austen's Bath can be enhanced (增强)by visiting the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street. Here, in a Georgian town house in the heart of the city, you can find out more about Bath in Jane Austen's time and the importance of Bath in her life and work.
The Centre has been set up with the help and guidance of members of the Jane Austen Society. After your visit to the Centre, you can look round the attractive shop, which offers a huge collection of Jane Austen related books, cards and many specially designed gifts. Jane Austen quizzes are offered to keep the children busy.
You can also have walking tours of Jane Austen's Bath, which is a great way to find out more about Jane Austen and discover the wonderful Georgian city of Bath. The tour lasts about one and a half hours. The experienced guides will take you to the places where Jane lived, walked and shopped.
Jane Austen paid two long visits to Bath _______.
A.in her early twenties | B.in her early teens |
C.in her late twenties | D.in her late teens |
What can we learn about Bath from the passage?
A.Bath has greatly changed since Jane Austen's death. |
B.The city has changed as much as Jane Austen knew it. |
C.Bath remains almost the same as in Jane Austen's time. |
D.No changes have taken place in Bath since Jane Austen's time. |
The author writes this passage in order to_______.
A.attract readers to visit the city of Bath |
B.ask readers to buy Austen's books |
C.tell readers about Jane Austen's experience |
D.give a brief introduction to the Jane Austen Society |
It takes you about one and a half hours_______.
A.to get to the Jane Austen Centre in Gay Street |
B.to buy Jane Austen related books, cards and gifts |
C.to find a guide to take you to the Centre |
D.to look around the city of Bath on foot |
Five years ago, David Smith wore an expensive suit to work every day.“I was a clothes addict(迷),” he jokes.“I used to carry a fresh suit to work with me so I could change if my clothes got wrinkled(皱的).” Today David wears casual clothes—khaki pants and a sports shirt—to the office. He hardly ever wears a necktie.“I'm working harder than ever,” David says,“and I need to feel comfortable.”
More and more companies are allowing their office workers to wear casual clothes to work. In the United States, the changes from formal to casual office wear have been slow. In the early 1990s,many companies allowed their workers to wear casual clothes on Friday(but only on Friday).This became known as “dress-down Friday” or “casual Friday”.“What started out as an extra one-day-a-week benefit for workers has really become an everyday thing,” said business adviser Maisly Jones.
Why have so many companies started allowing their workers to wear casual clothes? One reason is that it's easier for a company to attract new workers if it has a casual dress code. “A lot of young people don't want to dress up for work,” says the owner of a software company,“so it's hard to hire people if you have a conservative dress code.” Another reason is that people seem happier and more productive when they are wearing comfortable clothes. In a study made by Levi Strauss and Company, 85 percent of employers said that casual dress has a side effect on work. Supporters of casual office wear also say that a casual dress code helps them save money. “Suits are expensive, if you have to wear one every day,” one person said.“For the same amount of money, you can buy a lot more casual clothes.”
David Smith refers to himself as having been “a clothes addict” because _______.
A.he often wore khaki pants and a sports shirt |
B.he couldn't stand a clean appearance |
C.he wanted his clothes to look tidy and clean all the time |
D.he didn't want to spend much money on clothes |
David Smith wears casual clothes now, because _______.
A.they make him feel at ease when working |
B.he cannot afford to buy expensive clothes |
C.he looks handsome in casual clothes |
D.he no longer works for any company |
According to this passage, which of the following is FALSE?
A.Many workers don't like a conservative dress code. |
B.Comfortable clothes make workers more productive. |
C.A casual clothes code is welcomed by young workers. |
D.All the employers in the U.S. are for casual office wear. |
According to this passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.Company workers started to dress down about twenty years ago. |
B.Dress-down has become an everyday phenomenon since the early 1990s. |
C.“Dress-down Friday” was first given as a favor from employers. |
D.Many workers want to wear casual clothes to impress people. |
Alexis was hot and tired. With rage (愤怒) in her voice she shouted,“Pull me up! I give up. I hate this. This is stupid!” It was at that moment when Jason, the adviser on the trip, looked at me and said,“Ed, I'm going to go down and talk with her.”I then shouted down to Alexis,“ Hold on! You can do this. We know you can!”
Jason grasped another rope, put this climbing harness (系带) on and began to move down the cliff. Within moments Jason was beside Alexis. She had her cheek directly against the face of the rock with her feet barely resting on a small piece of the cliff that jetted (急突) outward. Jason said to Alexis,“I know that you have been on this cliff now for what seems like a long time. Your feet and fingers are cramping (痉挛) up and your forearms feel as though they are on fire. But, Alexis, you are strong. Look how far up you are already. You have taken one of the more difficult parts up the cliff. Alexis, look at the path you have taken.”At that moment, Alexis moved her cheek away from the rock face and looked down. The bright white chalk she used in her hands to give her a better hold, showed the path where her tired hands had moved her upward on the cliff. Jason was right. Alexis had taken the hardest way up the cliff. Jason then looked straight into Alexis' eyes and in a calm voice he said,“You are not alone out here. There are people who care about you, who want to help you and see you succeed. We are going to do this together. Are you ready?” Slowly she nodded and took a deep breath.
Jason went down the cliff because _______.
A.Alexis took a wrong path |
B.Alexis was trapped in rocks |
C.Alexis didn't believe in herself |
D.Alexis' forearms were badly hurt |
We can infer from the passage that _______.
A.Alexis was finally pulled up by Ed |
B.Alexis regretted having taken the wrong path up the cliff |
C.Alexis was immediately sent to hospital after she was pulled up |
D.Alexis successfully rock-climbed |
The underlined word “hot” in the story means_______.
A.disappointed | B.angry |
C.uncomfortable | D.running a high body temperature |
Alexis would probably become _______.
A.more strongminded | B.easier to give up |
C.poorer in health | D.less interested in rock climbing |
Two thieves came to a house to steal something.They dug a hole in the wall of the house.
There lived many mice in the house.The woman in the moonlight saw a mouse crawl(爬行)into the house.“Look!In comes one,”she said to the man in the house.The thief was so frightened that he hurriedly crawled out of the house and said to the one waiting outside,“She found me when I was just in.” But the thief outside didn’t believe him,so he said,“Let us two try to crawl into the house together.”At that time two mice happened to crawl into the house,too.The woman saw the mice and shouted,“In come two,catch them!” The two thieves were terribly frightened.The man in the house said,“You saw them come in but where are they? I will catch them tonight.”The two thieves started running away at once.
The two thieves wanted to make it clear whether they had been found or not the night before.The next day they acted as men selling sweet potatoes and came before the house.The man and the woman were ploughing in their fields.The rein(缰绳)broke and the woman came home for a rope.She saw two men selling sweet potatoes and wanted to buy some.She picked out two which looked like mice.At the time the man couldn’t wait for her any longer in the fields and he ran back from the fields to hurry her up.The woman showed the sweet potatoes to the man and said,“How they look like the two of last night.”The man said,“I asked you to fetch a rope,why don’t you hurry for it?”The two thieves ran away quickly without their sweet potatoes.
The two thieves failed to steal anything from the house because______.
A.they were found out |
B.they were frightened by what they had heard in the house |
C.they didn’t work together well with each other |
D.mice stopped them from doing so |
From the last paragraph,we know that ______.
A.the two thieves were famous selling sweet potatoes |
B.the woman recognized the two thieves |
C.the woman pretended to know nothing about the two thieves and made fun of them |
D.the two thieves didn’t know that they were not found at all |
“______”is the best title for this passage.
A.Two Clever Thieves | B.Terrible Mice |
C.Hit the Mark by a Fluke(歪打正着) | D.A Clever Couple |
Which of the following statements is false?
A.The two thieves not only failed to steal things but also lost their sweet potatoes. |
B.Whenever they found mice,the people in the house would try to catch them. |
C.The two thieves ran away at once,because they thought the woman had seen them. |
D.The man let the woman go home for a rope,which would be used for catching the thieves. |
任务型读写(共10小题,每小题1分,满分10分)
阅读下面短文,根据所读内容在表格中的空白处填入恰当的单词。
注意:每个空格只填一个单词。
The USA is the first country where Mother’s Day appeared.
On May 9th, 1906,an American Anne Jevis’s mother died. Ann was in deep sorrow. In order to memorize her mother, she put forward a proposal to fix a day as Mother’s Day. On May 7th ,1914,the Congress of the USA passed a law ,making the second Sunday of May “Mother’s Day”.
Today millions of Americans observe Mother’s Day in some ways. They buy more than 150,000,000Mother’s Day greeting cards. Companies produce more than 1,000 different kinds. Most of the cards show pictures of flowers, hearts or other things that people feel are linked to being a mother. They have messages that express a person’s love for his or her mother. Some are humorous. And some have no words. People can express their own feelings for their mother. Many people give flowers for Mother’s Day. It is one of the busiest days of the year for the flower industry. Many people have written songs about mothers and Mother’s Day.
Mother’s Day is a time for young children to do special things for their mother. Some would make a special gift or draw a special picture. One family activity on Mother’s Day is to have the children cook the early morning meal .Then they serve the food to their mother while she is still in bed. Or they might clean the house so she does not have to do it. Fathers might take care of the children that day so the mothers can rest, or take a walk, or read a book. Many mothers feel that this free time on their special day is a very good Mother’s Day gift.
Some families will get together for a meal at a local eating place. This means that mothers do not have to cook on their special day. Coming out to dinner has become a tradition on Mother’s Day. As a result, restaurants are extremely crowded that day. It has become one of the busiest days of the year for the restaurant industry in the United States.
Now Mother’s Day has been an international festival and more than 40 countries have accepted this festival.
Title:76 Day
Date |
The 77 Sunday of May |
78. |
Anne’s 79. at her mother’s death |
82. to celebrate |
Cards are sent with flowers or hearts to express80. |
81. written for mothers |
|
Special things done by children |
Make special gifts |
Draw special pictures |
|
Cook and serve the early morning meal |
|
Clean the house |
|
Special things done by fathers |
Look after children |
Get together for a meal at a local eating place, which makes restaurants very83. |
|
84. |
An international festival celebrated in over 85. countries |
When Colonel Harland Sanders retired at the age of 65, he had little to show for himself, except an old Caddie roadster, a $105 monthly pension check ,and a recipe for chicken.
Knowing he couldn’t live on his pension, he took his chicken recipe in hand, got behind the wheel of his van (货车),and set out to make his fortune. His first plan was to sell his chicken recipe to restaurant owners, who would in turn give him a residual (酬金)for every piece of chicken they sold—5 cents per chicken. The first restaurateur he called on turned him down.
So did the second.
So did the third.
In fact, the first 1,008 sales calls Colonel Sanders made ended in rejection. Still, he continued to call on owners as he traveled across the USA, sleeping in his car to save money. Prospect number 1,009 gave him first “yes”.
After two years of making daily sales he had signed up a total of five restaurants. Still the Colonel pressed on , knowing that he had a great chicken recipe and that someday the idea would catch on .
Of course, you know how the story ends. The idea did catch on. By 1963 the Colonel had 600 restaurants across the country selling his secret recipe of Kentucky Fried Chicken (with ll herbs and spices ).
In 1964 he was bought out by future Kentucky governor John Brown.Even though the sale made him a multi-millionaire, he continued to represent and promote KFC until his death in 1990.
Which of the following statements about Colonel Sanders is wrong according to the passage?
A.He received a pension of a little more than $100 every month after he retired. |
B.He couldn’t live on his pension because he had a chicken recipe in hand. |
C.He didn’t succeed in selling his recipe until he tried 1,009 times. |
D.He lived a hard life when he stared the business. |
The underlined phrase“catch on ”in Paragraph 6 probably means .
A.be accepted | B.be grasped | C.be popular | D.be rejected |
The sentence “Of course, you know how the story ends” means .
A.you are sure to know the result of Colonel Sanders’ business |
B.You are sure to know Colonel Sanders had finished his story |
C.It is certain Colonel Sanders ended his business |
D.It is certain Colonel Sanders knew how to end his story |
Colonel Sanders’ story teaches us an important lesson:
A.It’s never too late to make a change in your life . |
B.The early bird catches the worm. |
C.Live and learn. Life can teach you a lot of lessons. |
D.Constant dripping wears away a stone. |
Bill and his family has been living in the six-family building for years.All the neighbours got along fairly well with each other until recently.
An old man and his wife used to live on the second floor.Bill’s mother and the old lady were good friends.Unfortunately the lady died last month.Her husband could not live alone,so he had his grandson move over and live with him.
The grandson has become a problem to all the neighbours,especially to Bill’s family.The walls of the building are thin and he is noisy.Bill is used to peace and quiet but the young man likes to listen to the radio late at night.Sometimes friends of his visit and they make a lot of noise.That is too much for Bill’s family.
Bill’s mother once asked the old man politely if he was able to sleep well at night,but obviously the man didn’t understand what she meant.If he did and spoke to his grandson,the young man obviously didn’t listen,since things haven’t changed any.Everyone in Bill’s family agrees that something must be done though they don’t want to hurt the kind old man.
Bill’s family got angry because ________.
A.the old lady had died |
B.a young man moved in |
C.the old man could not live alone |
D.the grandson made a lot of noise |
Which of the following statements is true?
A.The old man could not live without his wife’s help. |
B.The old man and his wife were sometimes making trouble too. |
C.Bill’s mother was kind to her neighbours. |
D.Bill’s mother was the only one who likes the young man. |
It seems that ________to solve the problem.
A.anyone is able | B.only the grandfather is going |
C.Bill’s mother is able | D.nobody is likely |
Francis Bacon, one of the most important philosophers(哲人) of England, was born in London and educated at Cambridge University. When he was only 15, he went to France to work for the English ambassador (大使) . Two years later he went back to England to study law. At the age of twenty-three he was chosen to parliament (议会). His ideas about how scientists should study things in nature help to bring the modern way of thinking, called the scientific method.
One of the Bacon’s best-known books was his Essays. Each essay was a short piece of writing in which he tried to give a lesson by discussing sides of a subject such as studying, conversation, friends and healthy living. In many of his books, Bacon explained how scientists should study things as they really existed in nature and then tried to figure out what caused a particular thing to be as it was. Later, by doing experiments, the scientist could see that any one cause would always have the same result. This method, which is called inductive reasoning, is used by all the scientists today, but it was new in Bacon’s time.
5. According to the passage we know that ____.
A.Francis Bacon was the most important philosopher of England |
B.Francis Bacon had good education |
C.Francis Bacon worked for a French ambassador at the age of 15 |
D.Francis Bacon stayed in France until he was 23 |
6. The underlined phrase “inductive reasoning” in the last paragraph means____.
A.to discover general laws from particular facts or examples |
B.to reach a conclusion by reasoning from general laws to a particular case |
C.to study things as they used to be |
D.to study things in a particular way |
7. Which of the following is NOT true?
A.Bacon was a learned man. |
B.Bacon did a lot of philosophy. |
C.The inductive reasoning was widely used both today and in Bacon’s time. |
D.Bacon gave scientists much useful advice. |
Do you suppose Darwin, one of the greatest scientists of all time, really did foolsexperiments? Or did he do experiments that were so simple and basic that other people just thought they were foolish?
Sometimes, people think they already know the answer to a question or the solution (解决办法) to a problem. Sometimes, they really do know an answer or a solution, but without thinking they are important.
Charles Darwin didn’t settle for (满足于) just thinking he knew something. And, he believed all things could be important however simple they seemed to be.
Suppose you drop sheets of paper that are of exactly the same size and shape. If you drop them at the same time in the same place, they will fall in the same way. Now make one of the sheets of paper into a tight (紧的) little ball and let it drop along with the other sheets. What happens? You have done an experiment that is so simple that you might think it couldn’t be worth anything.
But this simple experiment is important. It explains part of our present-day understandings of physics, ideas that were worked out long ago by Galileo and Newton. And these understandings set aside some of ancient Greek physics.
Scientist sometimes stops to look at very simple things and to think very hard about them. Even the simplest idea, which we might think is foolish, can shake the foundations of science.
1. The passage tells us that Charles Darwin ____.
A.was a great English scientist |
B.always liked doing the experiments that others thought difficult |
C.thought even the simplest thing was important |
D.didn’t get well with others |
2.The phrase “set aside” most probably means____ .
A.throw away | B.store up |
C.put to use | D.realize |
3. The author of the passage tries to ________.
A.convince us that Charles Darwin, Galileo and Newton are the greatest scientists in the world |
B.draw the conclusion that basic sciences are simple things |
C.prove that two sheets of paper, with the same size and shape, will fall at the same speed |
D.draw our attention to everyday happenings around us |
4Which of the following is TRUE?
A.Darwin really did fools experiments. |
B.According to some people Darwin did foolish experiments. |
C.It is believed by all the people that things could be important though they seemed to be simple. |
D.Galileo and Newton worked out ancient Greek physics. |
Michael, a typical (典型的) American, stays home on workdays. He plugs into his personal computer terminal (接线端) in order to connect with the office. After work, he puts on his headphones, watches a movie on his home video recorder, or plays baseball on the computer. On many days, Michael doesn’t talk to any other human beings, and he doesn’t see any people except the ones on television. Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible. The inventions of modern technology seem to be cutting us off from contact with our fellow human beings.
The world of business is one area in which technology is isolating (使隔离) us. Experts say, for example, that many people will soon be able to work at home. With access to a large central computer, employees such as office clerks, insurance agents, and accountants could do their jobs at display terminals in their own homes. They would never have to actually see the people they’re dealing with. In addition, the way employees are paid will change. Workers’ salaries will be automatically paid into their bank accounts(账户), making paper checks(支票)unnecessary. No workers will stand in line to receive their pay or cash their checks. Personal banking will change, too. Customers will deal with machines to put in or take out money from their accounts.
Another area that technology is changing is entertainment. Music, for instance, was once a group experience. People listened to music at concert halls or in small social gatherings. For many people now, however, music is an individual experience. Walking along the street or sitting in their living rooms, they wear headphones to build a wall of music around them. Movie entertainment is changing, too. Movies used to be social events. Now, fewer people are going out to see a movie. Many more are choosing to wait for a film to appear on television or are borrowing videotapes to watch at home. Instead of laughing with others, viewers watch movies in their own living rooms.
13. The sentence “Michael is imaginary, but his lifestyle is very possible” means ____ .
A .Michael is a person full of imagination and he can make his dreams come true
B. Michael is not a real person but probably the lifestyle does exist
C. Michael has ambitions but he cant make his dreams come true
D. Michael is a person full of imagination and his lifestyle is common nowadays
14. What will the author most probably discuss after the last paragraph?
A. Games and sports.
B. Personal banking.
C. Music and films.
D. International business.
15. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. We may no longer need to communicate with other human beings.
B. Modern technology seems to be separating human beings.
C. We may no longer need to work in the office.
D. Modern technology makes it possible for us to work and entertain ourselves at home.
One day when the famous American scientist Edison was on his way home, a young man stopped him and required to have a word with him. Edison accepted his request.
The young man asked, “How, Mr. Edison, can you invent so many things and get your fame (名声)?”
The scientist said, “It seems that you have been thinking of becoming famous every day, “
The young man nodded, “Yes. I have been dreaming of being a person as famed as you. Every minute I am thinking of how to become reputable(有声望的). I don’t know when I can achieve my fame. “
Edison told him, “Don’t worry, young man. If you want to be a famous man this way, you will have to wait until you die!”
“Why should I?” the young man was puzzled.
Edison said, “What you dream is actually a high building. You never think of how to build it with bricks. Thus the building will never come into reality. However, your story can serve as a mirror. People will remember you because of your illness and laziness. They will often speak of your name while they give warnings to their children. Aren’t you a notorious person by then?”
9. What happened to Edison when he was on his way home?
A. a beggar stopped him
B. a robber stopped him.
C. A man wanted to speak to him.
D. A man wanted to have words with him.
10. The man asked Edison to tell him______.
A. how to invent new things. B. how to become famous
C. how he became a nobleman D. how to become a scientist
11. After hearing his talk, the young man was puzzled because Edison told him ______.
A. he would die after he was famous B. he would be famous before he died
C. he would die before he was famous D. he would never be famous
12. The story mainly tells us ________.
A. a person needs high spirit
B. one shouldn’t dream of becoming famous
C. only by hard work can one’s wish come into reality
D. one person should be idle and lazy.
As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her musical styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here(Britain) – the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber (he much older, she his muse) seems for ever frozen.
The 47-year-old singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a “very dark time”, including her decision to give up trying to have children. “People have suggested I could adopt,” Brightman says. “But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I’m not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich.”
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a property developer who later committed suicide), she says: “I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume.” She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe(辣妹三人舞) Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Graham Stewart. “I was probably in love but I can’t remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22. It didn’t really work out.” In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility(敌意) “from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I’ve done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live, I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don’t miss it, although I miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it.”
The first paragraph tells us that _____.
A.Brightman is very popular around the world except in America |
B.Brightman’s musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz |
C.the British people don’t like her for her style of music |
D.Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber |
Brightman decided to give up having children because _____.
A.she could adopt one | B.her life and career were unbelievably rich without children |
C.she felt it normal not to have children | D.she was too busy |
The following statements are true except ______.
A.Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5 |
B.Brightman disliked life on the campus |
C.Brightman was very gifted when she was young |
D.The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous |
The underlined word in the fourth paragraph probably means _____.
A.located | B.admired | C.followed | D.found |
What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman’s words?
A.Brightman has to accept the fact that she is liked in Britain |
B.Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country |
C.The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland |
D.Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain |
One kilogram --- that was all it took to crown(给……加冕) the world's strongest man.
German weightlifter Matthias Steiner pulled ahead of Russian rival Evgeny Chigishev to win the Olympic men's +105 kg weightlifting gold medal on Tuesday.
Steiner lifted a total of 461kg, 203kg in the snatch(抓举) and 258kg in the clean and jerk(挺举), to beat Chigishev by a single kilogram. The German won the battle of giants in his last lift, winning his country's first gold medal in the event at this year's Games.
Steiner's winning lift was also the last effort of the sport for this Olympics at which China earned eight of the 15 golds.
Steiner was born in Austria and represented his country of birth at the Athens Olympics four years ago, placing seventh in the lower 105kg category, but had a falling out with Austria's weightlifting federation afterwards.
He applied for German citizenship in 2005 and got married, but his career went into deep freeze(困境)as he could not compete without a passport. He finally obtained the document last January.
The German, who turns 26 on Monday, had come to these Games on a mission to win the title for his wife Susann, who died in a car accident in July last year. The German team said he used the personal tragedy to motivate himself to win the gold medal.
Chigishev was the strongest in the snatch session Tuesday. He kissed his fists after a 210-kg lift that gave him a 7-kg advantage over fourth-placed Steiner going into the second event -- the clean and jerk. He let out a victorious roar(吼叫)after clearing 250 kg in his last lift, but the glory was short-lived as Steiner stunned(使瞠目)everyone with his final, winning clean and jerk effort.
Steiner had finished seventh in the 2004 Olympics in the 105kg weight category, and took the gold in the 2008 European Championship +105kg snatch competition, bronze in the clean and jerk and silver overall, with a total weight of 446kg.
World champion Viktors Scerbatihs of Latvia settled for bronze.
Steiner won the gold by lifting ______.
A.105 kg | B.461 kg | C.258 kg | D.210 kg |
Four years ago at the Athens Olympics Steiner represented ______.
A.Australia | B.Germany | C.Austria | D.Russia |
The following statements are true except ______.
A.Steiner beat Chigishev by one kilogram |
B.Chinese weightlifting team won eight of the 15 gold medals at this year’s Games |
C.Steiner didn’t get the passport until last February |
D.Steiner got a bronze in the 2008 European Championship +105kg clean and jerk competition |
. It can be inferred from the story that _____.
A.Steiner was inspired by his unfortunate wife to win the gold medal |
B.Chigishev was also the strongest in the second event |
C.it is hard to get a German citizenship |
D.Steiner was determined to win the medal for the German team |
What is the best title of the story?
A.Narrow Victory | B.Pitiful Failure |
C.Gold Medal for His Dearest Wife | D.Strongest Man of the World |
试题篮
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