Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar, a country music singer is using his risi

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Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar, a country music singer is using his rising and falling voice to tell the audience about his love, hope and loss. Few people could avoid getting caught up in his feelings.
This is the appeal（魅力）of country music, which speaks to the basic emotions of human life. Throughout the 20th century, it has grown into one of the most original and lasting American musical forms.
Country music"s roots are in the songs of the American South, brought over by early immigrants(移民) from England. Those songs expressed the hardships of rural life and deep religious beliefs. In the 1920s, country music came into being as its first recordings were made. Early stars like Jimmy Rodger, known as "The Father of Country Music", and the Carter Family established its strong traditions － good song-writing, singing and playing.
Much of this music was written for and brought to the American public through the cowboy films of the 1930s and 1940s. It was widely popular then and many singers turned up on stage wearing Western fringe and cowboy hats.
In the 1950s, the country music recording industry was set up in Nashville and moved away from its rough roots. But singers like John Denver, with his hit track "Take Me Home, Country Roads", insisted on the originality and emotions of "real" country music.
Younger artists in the 1990s turned to older country styles and mixed t3vhem with elements of rock "n" roll. Steve Earle, with his song "The Devil"s Right Hand", is typical of this so-called "another country music".
Country music continues to speak to Americans of all ages and backgrounds. And it gives the nation an identity（独特性）.
Unlike pop music, country music was American, and only American. During its development, it continued to emphasize that "American" element and sounded completely different from its English ancestors. It may even be said that its sound and story tell the history of the United States.
小题1:Which of the following is the typical image(形象) when a country music singer performs?

A．Wearing a big hat and playing a guitar.

B．Using the rising and falling voice.

C．Telling about his love, hope and loss.

D．Singing for those working in the fields.

小题2:Which of the following statements about country music is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Country music was created by immigrants from England.

B．Country music comes from South American songs.

C．John Denver was known as "The Father of Country Music"

D．Country music that belongs to pop music was American, and only American.

小题3:The underlined expression “getting caught up in” probably means_________.

A．become interested or involved in

B．becoming fashionable or popularin

C．become caught in

D．breaking away from

小题4:The author mentioned Jimmy Rodger, John Denver and Steve Earle to __.

A．tell us the stage singing style of country music

B．show the process of the development of country music

C．attract the audience"s attention to country music

D．introduce some famous stars to readers

小题5:When did Country music begin to turn into a stage art？

A．In the 1920s

B．In the 1940s

C．in the 1950s

D．in the 1990s

答案

小题1:D
小题2:B
小题3:A
小题4:B
小题5:B

解析

小题1:大意归纳题。根据短文第一段可知:乡村音乐歌手戴着一顶大帽子,弹着吉他,用他那抑扬顿挫的歌声为听众歌唱着他的爱情、希望和失落。由此可知“在田间劳动时对唱”不是其演唱风格。
小题2:细节理解题。根据短文第二段第一句可知:乡村音乐的根源是早期英格兰移民带来的南美歌曲，不是由英格兰移民创造的（A项错误）；由第三段 “Early stars like Jimmy Rodger, known as "The Father of Country Music…",可知C项错误；D项从最后一段第一句可以排除。
小题3:词义猜测题。短文第一段谈到乡村音乐歌手的演唱风格, 第二段第一句紧接着指出:这正是乡村音乐的魅力。由此可以推出getting caught up in所在的句子的意思为：没有人不会被他的情绪所产生兴趣或打动。故答案为A。
【小题4 意图推测题。作者在文章中引用了三个不同时代的歌星: 早期的歌星: 号称为“乡村音乐之父”的吉米·罗杰以及卡特家族, 名曲《村路带我回家》的演唱者约翰·丹弗, 另外一种乡村音乐”的典型代表史蒂夫·艾尔。作者引用这些典型歌星,其目的是为了表明乡村音乐的发展过程。
小题5:细节理解题。由第四段 “…through the cowboy films of the 1930s and 1940s. It was widely popular then and many singers turned up on stage…”　可知答案为B。

举一反三

The history of newspapers is an often-dramatic chapter of the human experience going back some six centuries.In Renaissance Europe handwritten newsletters circulated(发行) privately among merchants,passing along information about everything from wars and economic conditions to social customs and “human interest” features.The first printed newspaper appeared in Germany in the late 1400s in the form of news pamphlets(小册子) or broadsides.
In the English-speaking world,the earliest predecessors(前身) of the newspaper were corantos,small news pamphlets produced only when some event worthy of notice occurred.The first successively published title was The Weekly News of 1622.The first true newspaper in English was the London Gazette of 1666.
In America the first newspaper appeared in Boston in 1690,entitled Public Occurrences.Published without official permission,it was immediately suppressed(查禁).Its publisher was arrested,and all copies were destroyed.The first successful newspaper was the Boston News-Letter,begun by postmaster John Campbell in 1704.By the eve of the Revolutionary War,some two dozen papers were issued at all the colonies.At the war’s end in 1783 there were forty-three newspapers in print. The Bill of Rights in 1791 at last guaranteed freedom of the press,and America’s newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.By 1814 there were 346 newspapers.
In the 1830s,advances in printing and papermaking technology led to an explosion of newspaper growth—the emergence(出现) of the “Penny Press”;it was now possible to produce a newspaper that could be sold for just a cent a copy.The cheap newspaper helped people to get more interesting reading materials easily.In 1850,there were 2526 different papers.By the 1910s,all the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged.
小题1:Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A．Handwritten newsletters came out publicly in Renaissance Europe.

B．The first printed newspaper was seen about six hundred years ago.

C．The first successively published newspaper in the English-speaking world was corantos.

D．In America the first newspaper was successful as soon as it appeared.

小题2:What does the underlined phrase “Penny Press” in the last paragraph mean?

A．People can press pennies easily.

B．People can produce newspapers with little cost.

C．It is a penny factory.

D．The name of the press owner is Penny.

小题3:What is the main reason for newspapers in the USA increasing so fast in the 1830s?

A．The pass of the Bill of Rights in 1791.

B．Newspapers began to take on a central role in national affairs.

C．Advances in printing and papermaking technology.

D．All the basic features of the modern newspaper had emerged

小题4:Which of the following is NOT a newspaper?

A．Public Occurrences.

B．The Boston News-Letter.

C．The Bill of Rights.

D．The London Gazette.

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Tom Becker has won the 2007 Waterstone"s children"s book prize with his first novel, Darkside, receiving a cheque for £1,000 and the promise of display in branches of the book store across the country.
The 25-year-old author described winning as an "unbelievable feeling". "I didn"t think my book would be on the shortlist and stood a chance of winning, and it"s amazing to receive such an important award at the beginning of my writing career. Needless to say I am absolutely made up." he said.
The novel, inspired by film noir（黑色电影）, fantasy（幻想）and a fascination（迷恋）with the dark side of the 19th century, is for children between the ages of nine and 12. It tells the story of a boy, Jonathan Stirling, who discovers a similar world filled with vampires（吸血鬼）and werewolves（狼人）. This alternative reality has a clearly Victorian air, and is ruled by a descendant（后裔）of Jack the Ripper. Soon hunters from the other side begin searching for Jonathan, who finds himself driven into their world.
Waterstone"s head children"s buyer, Wayne Winstone, thought highly of Becker"s "huge" achievement. He said: "Tom Becker"s writing style attracts you in the same way that Darren Shan"s does with his mix of adventure and the supernatural.
"I have a feeling that Tom has real potential（潜能）and could be one of the big names in children"s writing in the future."
This year"s shortlist also included Michael Broad"s Jake Cake, Philip Caveney"s Sebastian Darke and Siobhan Dowd"s A Swift Pure Cry. Last year"s prize was won by Julia Golding with The Diamond of Drury Lane.
小题1: How did Tom Becker feel at the news that he had won the prize?

A．He was proud of his ability of making up stories.

B．He was shocked and didn’t believe it was true.

C．He was very surprised and delighted.

D．He had expected he would win the prize.

小题2:Why was Tom Becker’s novel successful according to Wayne Winstone?

A．Because his novel was inspired by film noir, fantasy and a fascination.

B．Because the novel was about the dark side of the 19th century.

C．Because his novel was intended for teenagers between the ages of nine and 12.

D．Because his writing style is attracting with the mix of adventure and the supernatural

小题3:Which of the following is WRONG according to passage?

A．The novel Darkside is Tom Becker’s first novel.

B．The novel Darkside will be on display all over the country.

C．Philip Caveney also won the prize in 2007.

D．Jonathan is a major character in the novel Darkside.

小题4:What can we infer from the passage?

A．Tom Becker is likely to be a most promising novelist in children’s writing in the future.

B．Darren Shan’s novels are all very popular with children between the ages of 9 and 12.

C．The Waterstone’s children’s book prize is an important prize for young novelists.

D．The novels of Michael Broad, Philip Caveney and Siobhan Dowd will be on the shortlist next year.

小题5:The best title for the passage is probably_______.

A．Tom Becker— a great writer for children

B．First-time author wins children’s fiction prize

C．An imaginary big prize

D．Tom Becker"s writing style

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The Growing Credit Crisis Forces Many Companies to Seek Government Help
On September fifteenth, Lehman Brothers, a one hundred fifty-eight year-old investment bank, sought legal protection from its creditors. It had failed to find a buyer after months of searching. With over six hundred billion dollars in debt, Lehman’s failure was the largest bankruptcv in United States history At the same time，the nation’s biggest insurance company，American International Group, had gotten into trouble selling credit default swaps These are contracts Similar to insurance that protect the holder against credit risk.
Credit rating agencies downgraded A.I.G because of concerns it could not honor its contracts. Unable to get new loans, A.I.G asked for government help The Federal Reserve agreed to loan A .I.G. eighty-five billion dollars in return for eighty percent of the company but it was not enough. By November, the government had extended a total of about one hundred fiftv billion doliars in aid to A .I.G—the most to any single company during the crisis.
As banks refused to lend, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson proposed a plan to loosen credit markets by buylng risky assets. Congress approved the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of Two. Thousand eight on October third The bill provided seven hundred billion dollars to buy hard to-value securltles from banks. But within weeks, the government changed plans. The Treasury moved to invest two handred fifty billion dollars directly in banks to help them lend money again.
Lack of credit not only hurt banks but manufacturers, too. Falling car sales threatened America’s carmakers The big three automakers—General Motors, Ford and Chrysler—told Congress that they needed loans or they faced bankmptcy. In December, President Bush offered G.M and Chrysler over seventeen billion dollars in loans.
As the year ended, the Federal Reserve tried to support economic growth by lowering its main interest rate to nearly zero for the first time. But there was one more bad surprise New York money manager Bernard Madoff admitted he had cheated investors out of fifty billion dollars. The news only added to the sense that two thousand eight was the worst economic year since the nineteen thirties.
小题1: Which of the following is NOT the problem in the passage Lehman Brothers was faced with?

A．lt is an Investment bank with more than one and a half centuries history.

B．It didn’t find a buyer after months of searching.

C．It has over six hundred billion dollars in debt.

D．Its failure was the largest bankruptcy in United States history.

小题2:The reason why A.I.G turned to the U.S government for help was that .
A. A.I.G would give eighty percent of the company in return for the loan
B. A.I.G couldn’t get new loans from credit rating agencies
C. the government extended a total of about one hundred fifty billion dollars in aid to A.I.G
D. the Federal Reserve agreed to loan A.I G eighty-five billion dollars
小题3:According to the passage, which of the following is probably NOT suffering from the lack of_______ .

A．Banks．

B．Manufacturers

C．Carmakers

D．Barbers

小题4:The last sentence of this passage indicates that the author’s attitude towards the U.S economy in 2008 is

A．pessimistic

B．optimistic

C．objective

D．subjective

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I came to live here where I am now between Wounded Knee Greek and Grass Greek. Others came too, and we made these little grey houses of logs that you see, and they are square, It is a bad way to live, for there can be no power in a square.
You have noticed that everything an Indian does is in a circle, and that is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything tries to be round. In the old days when we were a strong and happy people, all our power came to us from the respectful circle of the nation, and so long as the circle was unbroken, the people were getting rich. The flowering tree was the living center of the circle, and the circle of the four quarters nursed it. The east gave peace and light, the south gave warmth, the west gave rain, and the north with its cold and strong wind gave strength and continuous power. This knowledge came to us from the outer world with our brief. Everything the Power of the World does is done in a circle. The sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball, and so are all the stars. Birds make their nests in circle, for theirs are the same as ours. The sun comes forth and goes down again in a circle. The moon does the same, and both are round. Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves. Our places were like the nests of birds, and these were always set in a circle, the nation’s circle, a nest of many nests, where the Great Spirit meant for us to nurse our children.
But the Wasichus (Indian word for “white people”) have put us in these square boxes. Our power is gone and we are dying, for the power is not in us any more. You can look at our boys and see how it is with us. Where we were living by the power of the circle in the way we should, boys were men at twelve or thirteen years of age. But now it takes them very much longer to be bull - grown.
小题1: According to the passage, the Indians _______.

A．don’t have modern instruments in their homes

B．refused to move from round places

C．lived in round places, but were forced to live in square houses

D．lived in round places, but then decided to move into square houses

小题2:Two things being compared in the passage are _______.

A．the Indians’ past and present living conditions

B．the Indians’ past and modern beliefs

C．the Indians’ old and new power

D．people and nature

小题3:In the second paragraph “the four quarters” refers to _______.

A．the four rooms of the Indian’s house

B．the four kinds of natural power

C．the four seasons

D．the four directions

小题4:According to the author, once the Indians moved into square houses, _______.

A．they had to move to other houses

B．boys took more time to grow into men

C．they forgot the old way of life

D．everyone was not happy

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When you are in another country, it is important to know the language, but it is equally important to know how to communicate nonverbally(非语言地), before saying anything by making gestures. According to a pioneer in nonverbal communication, only 30 to 35 percent of our communication is verbal. When people don"t know the language, the most common way to communicate is through gestures. However, many gestures have different meanings, or no meaning at all, in different parts of the world.
In the United States, for example, nodding your head up and down means “yes”. In some parts of Greece and Turkey, however, this motion can mean “no”. In Southeast Asia, nodding your head is a polite way of saying “I"ve heard you”.
In ancient Rome, when the emperor wanted to spare someone"s life, he would put his thumb up. Today in the United States, when someone puts his / her thumb up, it means “Everything is all right”. However, in Sardinia and Greece, the gesture is insulting and should not be used there.
In the United States, raising your clasped hands above your head means “I’m the champion” or “I’m the winner”. It is the sign prizefighters make when they win a fight. When a leading Russian statesman(政治家) made this gesture after a White House meeting, Americans misunderstood and thought he meant he was a winner. In Russia, however, it is a sign of friendship.
In the United States, holding your hand up with the thumb and index finger in a circle and the other three fingers spread out means “Everything is O.K.” and is frequently used by astronauts and politicians. In France and Belgium, it can mean “You’re worth nothing.”
There are other nonverbal signals that people should be aware of when they go to another country, such as the distance to maintain between speakers. Americans usually feel comfortable when speaking with someone if the distance between them is about eighteen inches to arm’s length. Anything closer makes them feel uncomfortable.
When talking to Americans, it is also important to make eye contact. If you look down when talking to an American, he / she may feel that you are embarrassed, afraid, or trying to hide something.
In addition to knowing how to communicate nonverbally in a country, it is important to know what you and he cannot discuss. In the United States, there are certain topics to avoid when you first meet someone, For example, don’t ask people their age, weight, religion, marital status(婚姻状况), how much money they earn, or how much something costs. You can talk about work, the weather, traffic problems, sports, food, news of the day, where one lives, consumer subjects (computers, car repairs, and so forth), and travel or vacation plans.
These few examples illustrate that your actions can speak louder than your words. In a particular cultural contest, what you say and what you don’t say are equally important.
小题1:Which of the following is true?

A．People all over the world only communicate verbally.

B．Most of our gestures have no meaning at all.

C．Some people think that 65 to 70 percent of our communication is nonverbal.

D．Gestures are the most common way to common way to communicate.

小题2:As we can see from the passage there are ______ kinds of nonverbal communication signals.

A．four

B．five

C．six

D．seven

小题3: Please paraphrase the clause“…your actions can speak louder than your words.

A．Your deeds are better than your words

B．What you do is better than what you say

C．You try to show your best manners

D．you are better understood by your gestures than through your words

小题4:The main idea of the passage is that when you are in another country, ______.

A．it is unimportant to know the language

B．it is important to know what you can talk about to a foreigner

C．to know how to communicate nonverbally is as important as to know the language

D．to communicate the rough gestures is more important than to know the language

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