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.

常用短语

side by side

be bored with

take advantage of

rather than   in order

try out

be blessed with

come out

时间状语从句和省略。

词汇短语园地

1. movement   n.   运动，活动，动作

There was a sudden movement in the undergrowth.

矮树丛里突然有什么东西动了一下。

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

警察正在密切监视嫌疑犯的活动。

2. technique   n.（尤指艺术或科学方面的）技巧;手法，

技术

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

如果你想学绘画，我建议你学习拉斐尔的手法。

Let me introduce some of the applications of this technique.

请允许我介绍一些该技术的应用程序。

3. approach   n.   接近，靠近;道路，入口;方法;步骤

v.    走进，靠近;接洽，交涉

（1） approach作为名词时，意为“接近，靠近;道路，入口;方法;步骤”等。

Our approach drove away the wild animals.

我们一走近，野兽全都跑开了。

All approaches to the town were blocked.

通往这座城镇的所有道路都被封锁了。

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

不過我们发现语言教学的方法上存在一些问题。

（2） approach作为动词时，意为“走进，靠近”等。

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

当你接近那座城镇的时候，首先看到的就是教堂。

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

要想解决这一难题，我们先来考虑一下如何着手才好。

4. decline   n.   下降，衰退，减少

v.    衰退，下降

（1） decline作为名词时，意为“下降，衰退，减少”。

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

今年销售量大幅降低。

We are studying the decline of ancient Rome.

我们在研究古罗马的衰落。

（2） decline作为动词时，意为“衰退，下降”。

Her influence declined after she lost the election.

她落选后影响力大为降低。

5. touch   v.   触动;感动;使心动;碰到，触摸，与……接触

His sad story touched us and we nearly cried.

他的悲惨遭遇深深打动了我们，我们几乎哭了出来。

He swore hed never touch a drink again.

他发誓以后滴酒不沾。

touched   adj.   感激的，受感动的

touching   adj.   令人同情的，感人的

6. arise   v.（由……）引起（产生），呈现，发生

Some unexpected difficulties have arisen here.

这儿出现了一些意想不到的困难。

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

问题不一定会发生，但有备无患并无害处。

辨析：比较arise，raise和rise

arise作为不及物动词时，用来表示困难、问题、机遇等出现;raise作为及物动词时，表示举起、抬起某物，还可表示抚养，养育;rise作为不及物动词时，表示某物上升、升起、升高、上涨。

I was raised by my aunt on a farm.

我是在农场由姨妈抚养长大的。

The smoke was rising from the chimney.

烟正从烟囱升起来。

7. tight   adj.（控制）严格的，严密的;紧的，牢的;

排满的，塞满的

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

当领导人乘坐的飞机降落时，机场已做好严密的安保措施。

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

今天我的日程已经排得很满，所以明天才能见你。

8. otherwise   adv.   否则，要不然;另外，除……以外

Do as youre told， otherwise youll be in trouble.

按说的做，不然你会有麻烦的。

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

除汤是凉的以外，那顿饭还是很好的。

9. allowance   n.   津贴，补助;零用钱

The scholarship includes an allowance of 200 yuan for books.

獎学金包括两百元书本费津贴。

I didnt receive any allowance from my father.

我没有收到父亲给的零用钱。

10. devote   v.   为……付出时间/努力/金钱等;专心致力于

He has devoted his life to helping blind people.

他为帮助盲人而献出一生。

搭配：

devote... to （sth/doing sth）   把……奉献给……;

把……专用于……

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

我认为我们不应该在这个问题上再花费时间。

devotion   n.   献身，奉献

devoted   adj.   热爱……的;献身于……，专心于……

be devoted to   对……专注（专一）;专用于……

She is devoted to her children.

她深爱她的孩子。

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

我们大部分的会议时间都用来讨论住房问题。

11. beg   v.   请求，恳求;乞求，乞讨（尤指食物、金钱等）

He begged that he should be sent home.

他请求将他送回家去。

I beg your pardon.

请您原谅。

beg for   乞求，请求

The homeless man has to beg for money.

那个无家可归的人不得不为了钱而乞讨。

12. be bored with   厌烦

Matt was bored with the whole digging project.

马特对整个挖掘工作感到厌烦了。

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

不要害怕告诉上司你对目前的工作感到无聊并希望接受新的挑战。

13. take advantage of   利用

They took full advantage of the hotels facilities.

他们充分利用旅馆的设备。

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

你应该利用好天气给篱笆上油漆。

have the advantage of   有……的有利条件

She had the advantage of a good education.

她具有受过良好教育的有利条件。

14. rather than   而不是

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

我想我应该喝一杯牛奶而不是咖啡。

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

谈论自己喜欢的事物而不谈自己不喜欢的，可以保持乐观的情绪。

辨析：

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

（1）rather than意为“而不是，而没有”，常连接两个并列成分。

（2）other than意为“除了……”，一般用于否定句中。

You cant get there other than by boat.

除了坐船，你无法到那里去。

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

I prefer to read rather than watch TV.

我更愿意读书而不是看电视。

He would rather play than do homework.

他宁愿玩也不愿做作业。

15. try out （for sth）   尝试;测试，试验;试演

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

这将有助于团队成员尝试不同的写作风格。

Shes trying out for the part of Juliet.

她正在试演朱丽叶这个角色。

16. come out   出版;出现;（指花朵等）开始长出，开花;

（消息等）传出，透露;洗掉，清除

When will her new book come out？

她的新书什么时候出版？

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

因为天气寒冷，今年桃花开得晚。

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

他一直都在偷雇主的钱，这事终于暴露了。

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

这件衬衫我已经洗过两次了，但上面的墨水渍还洗不掉。

come about   发生

come across   偶遇

come up with   想出，提出

He could not come up with a proper answer.

他想不出一個合适的回答。

17. far from   完全不，远远不;远离

Im far from pleased with your behavior.

我对你的表现很不满意。

The restaurant is not far from here.

饭店离这儿不远。

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

Her speech made quite an impression on the audience.

她的演说给听众留下了相当好的印象。

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

我敢肯定，这部影片给每个观众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.”

跟蹤导练（一）

阅读理解

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

跟蹤导练（二）

阅读七选五

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 （单局淘汰） 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

跟踪导练（三）

阅读理解

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 （自動点唱机）， 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 （猫头鹰） 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

跟蹤导练（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.

跟踪导练（五）

阅读理解

You dash through a crowded railway station， tripping over bags， spilling （泼出） 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

閱读七选五

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.

跟蹤导练（六）

阅读理解

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 （评论家） 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.

书面表达

假如你是李华，当假期来临的时候，越来越多的人选择去名校参观，但有的人反对将校园变为旅游地。请你就此现象给英国笔友Peter写一封信，阐述你的看法。内容应包括：

1. 存在的现象;

2. 自己的看法。

注意：

1. 词数100左右;

2. 可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯;

3. 信的开头和结尾已给出，不计入总词数。

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70年代最受欢迎的音乐艺术家之一，以演唱描述自然之美的歌曲著名，他同时也是一位人权以及环境保护主义运动家。

约翰·丹佛1943年生于美国西南部的新墨西哥州罗斯维尔城，原名亨利·约翰·得奇道夫二世。7岁时，祖母送给他第一件乐器。他开始表演生涯后，改名为丹佛。

1965年，约翰·丹佛加入乐队查德·米歇尔三重唱。后来他离开乐队单飞，于1971年发行第一张热销唱片《乡村路带我回家》，一举成名。

约翰·丹佛因演唱《肩上阳光》《安妮的歌曲》《感谢上帝我是个乡下孩子》等曲目红遍美国。丹佛的歌曲《高高的洛基山上》是科罗拉多州的官方歌曲之一。

约翰·丹尼的唱片全球销量过千万，获奖无数，在美国音乐史上他的地位无人可敌。他用其影响力支持环保事业，建立了环境保护教育和研究中心。

1997年，约翰·丹佛因飞机失事身亡，终年54岁。