British singer-song writer James Blunt shot to fame in 2005 with his single You're Beautiful and album(专辑) Back To Bedlam, and since then he remained the top of the UK singles chart.
Before James Blunt became a musician, he served in the army to fight for Queen and country. He spent four and a half years there, with six months in Kosovo as part of the peacekeeping force. Before leaving the army, Blunt had decided to achieve his dream of becoming a musician. In 2003, he was discovered by music producer Linda Perry who signed him to her Custard label. However the road to success never runs smoothly. It seemed that he would become another struggling singer trying to live from hand to mouth (勉强维持生计) when his first two singles failed to make an impact on the British charts. But everything changed when his third single You're Beautiful made it all the way to No.1 on the UK singles charts, and remained there for five weeks. The album Back to Bedlam soon followed and quickly became one of the biggest selling records of the year, remaining then continual weeks at No.1. Since then, he has sold more than three million records, making him the first British artist to top the American singles charts in nearly a decade.
Blunt, 34, a throwback (返祖者) to the 1970s softrock golden age, has been quoted by Western media as saying that he will never get used to people screaming at him in the street.
His success proves a lasting theory: You spend years chasing the right song. Then, if you're lucky, and if the song really takes off, you spend the rest of your life trying to escape it, or learning to live with it, a few years removed from You're Beautiful, he can still fill stages worldwide with fans who stay until the end.
1.What do we learn from the passage?
A.Blunt was discovered by Linda Perry before joining the army.
B.Blunt has already become famous before joining the army.
C.Blunt spent five years in the army altogether.
D.Blunt had the dream of becoming a musician before leaving the army.
2.Which of the following can describe James Blunt's life as a musician before he sang the song You're Beautiful ?
A.Difficult B.Happy
C.Boring D.Smooth
3.We can infer from the last paragraph that_________.
A.Blunt is well-known in the world for his talent.
B.Blunt's fame as a musician came easily.
C.Blunt wasn't lucky enough to win his fans' support.
D.Blunt has to face the inconvenience that his fame has caused.
4.What is the passage mainly about?
A.The song You're Beautiful
B.The latest album of James Blunt
C.The success of James Blunt as a musician
D.The whole life of James Blunt
George is in his bedroom. He is playing on his computer again! George plays on his computer every day. But George feels sad. He plays on his computer because he doesn't have any friends. Sometimes he dreams he is playing football with lots of friends, but it never happens.
Today George is playing a computer football game. He is playing against the computer and he is winning. Suddenly the computer speaks to George.
"Hello, George! What game can we play now?"
George is surprised and jumps up from his chair. He can't believe it. Maybe he is dreaming.
George looks at the computer with big eyes. "You can speak!"
"Yes. I can do many amazing things!" Two arms shoot out of the sides of the computer. And then two legs. Suddenly the computer is walking!
"Let's go for a walk to find a friend," says the computer. The computer runs along the road. It goes into the library, where there are lots of computers. There is a boy, Tommy, sitting there, doing his homework.
Tommy looks at the crazy computer.
"What's this?" he cries. "A computer with arms and legs?" George's computer is in the middle of the room. It's getting bigger and bigger.
It is out of control. The lights in the library are flashing on and off. People are running out of the library.
"Quick!" says George. He grabs a stick and hits his computer. There is a loud bang and it explodes into the air and falls to the ground into small pieces.
"He's gone," says Tommy.
Tommy and George leave the library together. Tommy lives in the next street to George. "That's my house," says Tommy. "Do you want to play football in the garden?"
"Yes," says George, smiling. "Who needs computers?"
1.When George and the computer entered the library, what was Tommy doing?
A.He was chatting with a net friend.
B.He was doing his homework.
C.He was playing football on a computer.
D.He was repairing a computer.
2.What does the underlined word "it" refer to?
A.The library B.The stick
C.Tommy's homework D.George's computer
3.The passage may be a(n) _______.
A.ad for a supercomputer B.football match report
C.science story D.diary
4.The passage implies that _____.
A.computers make people communicates with each other.
B.children prefer playing football on the computer.
C.online games replace some traditional ways of playing
D.computers will drive people mad in the future.
How to Be a Winner
Sir Steven Redgrave
Winner of 5 Olympic Gold Medals
"In 1997 I was found to have developed diabetes (糖尿病). Believing my career was over, I felt extremely low. Then one of the specialists said there was no reason why I should stop training and competing. That was it the encouragement I needed. I could still be a winner if I believed in myself. I am not saying that it isn't difficult sometimes. But I wanted to prove to myself that I wasn't finished yet. Nothing is to stand in my way. "
Karen Pickering
Swimming World Champion
"I swim 4 hours a day, 6 days a week. I manage that sort of workload by putting it on top of of my diary. This is the key to success--- you can't follow a career in any field without being well-organized. List what you believe you can achieve. Trust yourself, write down your goals for the day, however small they are, and you'll be a step closer to achieving them."
Kirsten Best
Poet & Writer
"When things are getting hard, a voice inside my head tells me that I can't achieve something. Then there are other distractions, such as family or hobbies. The key is to concentrate. When I feel tense, it helps a lot to repeat words such as 'calm', 'peace' or 'focus', either out loud or silently in my mind. It makes me feel more in control and increases my confidence. This is a habit that can become second nature quite easily and is a powerful psychological(心理的) tools."
1.What does the underlined word "distractions" probably refer to?
A.Ways that help one to focus. B.Words that help one to feel less tense.
C.Activities that turn one's attention away. D.Habits that make it hard for one to relax.
2.What does Karen Pickering put on top of her diary?
A.Her training schedule. B.Her daily happenings.
C.Her achievements. D.Her sports career.
3.What does Sir Steven Redgrave mainly talk about?
A.Difficulties influenced his career.
B.Specialist offered him medical advice.
C.Training helped him defeat his disease.
D.He overcame the shadow of illness to win.
4.According to the passage, what do the three people have in common?
A.Courage. B.Devotion.
C.Hard work. D.Self- confidence.
There was a couple who used to go to England to shop. _______ of them liked antiques (古董) and pottery (陶瓷) and especially teacups.
One day in a beautiful _______ they saw a beautiful teacup. They said,"May we see that? We've _______ seen one so beautiful." As the owner of the shop _______ it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke:
You don't _______. I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay (粘土). My _______took me and rolled me and petted me over and over...... I couldn't bear it any longer and _______ out, "Let me alone!", but he only smiled, "Not yet."
Then he put me in an oven. I never felt so _______. I wondered why he wanted to burn me. I shouted and I knocked at the door. I could see him_______ the opening and I could read his lips as he ________ his head, "Not yet."
Then I knew there wasn't any ________. I would never make it. I was ready to ________. But the door opened and my owner took me ________ and placed me on a shelf. One hour later he handed me a ________ and said, "Look at yourself." and I did so. But what I saw surprised me. "That is not me, that couldn't be me. It's ________."
"I want you to remember," then he said, "I know it hurtfull to be rolled and patted, ________ if I had just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it was hot and ________ in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have ________. Now you are a finished product. You are ________ I had in mind when I first began with you."
It's really a truth: if you do not ________ the wind and the rain, how can you see the rainbow?
1.A.All B.Both C.Neither D.None
2.A.garden B.church C.shop D.hall
3.A.never B.often C.always D.ever
4.A.contributed B.handed C.rent D.recommended
5.A.respond B.complain C.care D.understand
6.A.father B.brother C.owner D.friend
7.A.went B.died C.put D.shouted
8.A.good B.hot C.cold D.hunger
9.A.through B.by C.across D.over
10.A.nodded B.lifted C.hit D.shook
11.A.future B.hope C.advice D.opinion
12.A.give up B.take up C.stay up D.set up
13.A.inside B.out C.off D.up
14.A.telephone B.cup C.paper D.mirror
15.A.secret B.lucky C.beautiful D.strange
16.A.and B.but C.so D.or
17.A.miserable B.comfortable C.valuable D.changeable
18.A.succeeded B.remained C.survived D.cracked
19.A.who B.which C.what D.that
20.A.avoid B.experience C.expect D.promise
Mum___to us,“Be quiet!Your little sister’s sleeping.”
A．whispered | B．shouted |
C．explained | D．replied |
The whole area was ____________ by the snow, and the government had to send food there by helicopter.
A.cut away B.cut up C.cut off D.cut down
