So far, this year's global music market has definitely been controlled by women: Beyonce Knowles, Taylor Swift, and Iggy Azalea are all making waves. And one hot name that adds more weight to the list is US singer Ariana Grande.
Almost exactly a year ago, Grande released her first album, Yours Truly. And over the past 12 months, the 21-year-old former Nickelodeon (an American TV channel for kids and adolescents) star has transformed from a pop artist you might recognize to a superstar. She now boasts three top 10 singles in the current Billboard Hot 100 chart, an impressive opening performance at this year's MTV Video Music Awards, and millions of followers on social networking sites.
Her second album, My Everything, which was released on Aug, 25th, is the latest sign of her coming dominance (优势). It ranked first on the Billboard 200 album chart this week, making her the only other female singer after Scotland's Susan Boyle to have two No. 1 albums in a row in a single year.
OK, with all the glitter and glory aside, let's talk about Grande's trump card — her powerful voice and wide vocal range (音域). Unlike Selena Gomez and Demi Lovato, Grande's star power is rooted in the fact that she can really sing. More importantly, Grande knows how to control her voice, which is at once strong and sensitive, and use it to expand her musical territory.
My Everything is the best example. In this album, Grande nearly tries her hand at everything: dance music (Break Free), R&B jams (Be My Baby), hip-hop tunes (Problem), power ballads (Why Try) and even '60s-inflected pop (Bang Bang).
While you can clearly sense her ambition as a singer, you will be impressed by how effortlessly she handles these different styles of music, especially if you have listened to Yours Truly, a more cohesive, '90s R&B-influenced project.
Of course, one suggestion for Grande's future music would be for her to display more personality instead of simply showing off her voice. But not to worry; based on what we've heard thus far, it's safe to say Grande is well on her way to growing into her own.
1.The underlined word “boasts” in paragraph 2 is similar in meaning to ________.
A.releases B.adopts C.advocates D.possesses
2.The author takes her album, My Everything, as an example to ________.
A.show her wide vocal range
B.show she is a superstar
C.show she is very popular with followers
D.show she sings better than other singers
3.In the author's opinion, Grande ________.
A.should try her hand in more styles of music
B.is satisfied with just showing off her voice talent
C.is sure to display more personality in her future performance
D.is going to lose her advantage for lack of change in her performance
Being fat is a non-stop fight between not being noticed and attracting much notice. Sometimes you want to be accepted; instead, you’re singled out and judged. In 2015, when I became the first plus-size designer to win Project Runway, I hoped it would be a moment not only for inclusive fashion, but also for all other fat human beings out there. It wasn’t just me who had won; we’d won. Many women told me they were afraid to wear bright colors or show off their arms until they saw me doing it. But some of the words on the Internet were terrible: “Why did they pick that fat designer?” “How can she encourage such an unhealthy lifestyle?” I got sad and put on more weight. I reached a point where I couldn’t climb stairs without losing my breath.
I finally realized that if I didn’t take care of myself, I couldn’t keep doing what I loved, so I went to see a doctor and started doing exercise every day. After that I got more judgment, this time from people in the fat group who once supported me. They turned their backs on me and said, “You can’t be body positive and still losing weight.” I thought, “Well, why not? I wasn’t trying to be ‘prettier’; I wanted to have control of my life.”
Size should not divide us, whether we are fat, thin, or anywhere in the between. I’m designing clothes for plus woman, but one day I might be open to designing straight sizes. People judge me for that, too. But I just want to create clothes that make people feel good. I want every woman to love herself and go after her dreams like I did.
1.What was the author’s hope after she won Project Runaway?
A.People would look up to her.
B.Other fat people would share her pride.
C.The clothes she designed would sell well.
D.Fat people would lead the fashion industry.
2.After the author saw the words on the Internet, she ________.
A.lost interest in fashion
B.lost control of her body
C.stopped wearing bright colors
D.decided to have a healthy lifestyle
3.What was fat people’s attitude to the author when she started losing weight?
A.Dissatisfied.
B.Uninterested.
C.They laughed at her.
D.They couldn’t believe it.
听下面一段独白，回答以下小题。
1.Who is the Boot Camp targeted at?
A.Men. B.Women. C.Young children.
2.Why does the speaker go to local primary school?
A.To do training. B.To look for customers.
C.To do some exercise.
3.What can we find on the speaker’s website now?
A.Videos. B.Diet tips. C.Training advice.
4.What does the speaker probably want to do next?
A.Find some assistants. B.Advertise his sports camp.
C.Show some training methods.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What color hair did Clara have?
A.Black. B.Blond. C.Brown.
2.What language did Peter speak?
A.Spanish. B.German. C.Italian.
3.Who were humorous?
A.Peter and Antonio. B.Hiro and Peter. C.Hiro and Antonio.
4.What do we know about Amy?
A.She was French. B.She liked black clothes.
C.She was good at cooking.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.Where will Sam go?
A.Athens. B.Amsterdam. C.Los Angeles.
2.When will the woman meet Sam?
A.Before 12:30. B.Around 2:00. C.After 4:00.
3.What does Sam expect to do in London?
A.See the Big Ben. B.Visit Trafalgar Square.
C.Go around Hyde Park.
听下面一段较长对话，回答以下小题。
1.What does the woman say about buying the ticket online?
A.It’s quick. B.It’s difficult. C.It’s cheap.
2.What does the man think is interesting?
A.Fans’ messages. B.Stories of band members.
C.Replies from the guitarists.
