Mike frowned at his calendar and then picked up his guitar. His band had been together for five months. Everyone said they were fantastic but they still had not been blessed with a paying job.
The three guys had become acquainted in band class, and organizing a group had been Mike’s idea. Mike played the guitar and acted as leader. John was on drums and James was on the saxophone. The three got together just for fun and named their group Playday.
But when some fans praised their talent, they decided to turn fun into profit. To make themselves known, Playday volunteered to entertain at parties. They played for free at school get-togethers. Mike loved the applause! He felt like a superstar. They practiced hard and discussed young musicians who had vaulted into prominence.
“The Jackson Five were kids,” John said. “Michael shot to fame like a rocket!” He exclaimed. “We can do it!” Mike encouraged the group.
After months of keeping Spirits high, Mike was tired. They haven’t seen even a cent. Let alone making a killing. Everyone was in low spirits. They decided to break up after one final volunteer job. The next day, they were to perform for patients at the Children’s Hospital where Mike’s mother worked as a nurse.
The next day the three young guys set up in the hospital lobby, and the nurses brought in the audience. As Playday began its number, Mike could feel their lack of spirit. Then Mike spotted one patient sitting limply in her wheelchair. Her expression was vacant, but when music filled the room, this rag doll came to life. She sat up straight, and the light that shone in her eyes lighted up something in Mike. He felt the thrill he’d been missing. As Mike’s playing caught fire, James and John gained energy. Soon, Playday was rocking as never before.
After the performance, the three guys spent time with the patients. Mike spoke to the girl who had encouraged him to play so well. “Wouldn’t it feel great to be rich and famous?” she asked, eyes still bright. “Will you be a rock star?” “Probably not,” Mike answered. “But I’ll never give up my music. I felt like the big time playing for you!”
1.The underlined phrase “had vaulted into prominence” most likely means .
A.had grown into adults B.had made a promise
C.had played The Jackson Five D.had become successful
2.The members of Playboy were tired and depressed because they _______.
A.had no offer of a paying performance B.competed cruelly with other bands
C.called an end to the band D.performed at the Children's Hospital
3.While performing at the Children's Hospital, Mike became inspired because _______.
A.his guitar caught fire B.a girl took him as a rock star
C.a patient was much cheered up D.a toy doll suddenly became alive
4.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?
A.Mike, John and James got to know each other as they were relatives.
B.They planned to make money when they had a big fan base.
C.Their wonderful performance at Children’s Hospital cured the girl of her disease.
D.Mike found out the enjoyment of volunteer performance after playing at the hospital.
Directions: After reading the passage below, fill in the blanks with the proper forms of the given worlds to make the passage coherent and grammatically correct.
Having nothing to write about is, perhaps, the greatest fear of a student about to begin an essay for an IELTS or TOEFL test. However, critical thinking isn’t such a difficult skill to master. In fact, many of you will have already used this valuable skill in your life.
Suppose one of your friends recommends a movie by saying ,“It’s a really wonderful movie and definitely worth 1. (watch).”,Instead of simply taking the recommendation, you may ask the question“Why is it wonderful?”By doing this you are thinking critically. A more professional term to define this process 2. (call) identifying ambiguity, which is regarded as the key stage in thinking critically.
Let’s look at following examples from IELTS Writing Task.
Detailed description of crimes on newspaper and TV have consequence for society, so this kind of information should be restricted in the media. To what extend do you agree or disagree with this statement.
To think critically, the fist thing 3. (consider) isn’t whether you agree or not. You should instead try to clarify the words “detailed description of crimes” by asking yourself 4. these details might be. Then you should come up with a list like this :
1.Investigating the target victim before the crime
2.Measures to avoid 5. (track)by the police
3.Bloody crime scenes.....
After that ,it won’t be hard for us to groups these details, leading eventually to two paragraphs: some disclosure of information may allow people to protect themselves from crime. However,it is not appropriate for many other details 6. (release)to the general public.
Practice identifying ambiguity when you write the essay.Your work will definitely leave a good impression on your teachers.
The famous American inventor Thomas Alva Edison once claimed that genius was one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration(汗水). Now, it seems, there is scientific evidence to _______ his claim. The idea that geniuses such as Shakespeare, Mozart, and Picasso possessed certain inborn talents is a false belief, according to a study by a British psychologist and his colleagues.
After examining outstanding performance in the arts and sports, these researchers concluded that _______ is determined by opportunity, encouragement, training, motivation, self-confidence, and — most important of all —_______ Even people who were not thought to be _______ with any special talent could, after having received training, reach levels _______ considered attainable (可获得的) only by gifted individuals. Talent is a false belief, and it is time that people got rid of it, they said.
This theory — a dramatic _______ with traditional beliefs — has been _______ by academics worldwide. In fact, studies of accomplished artists and mathematicians, and top tennis players and swimmers, have reported few early signs of _______ in these people before any parental encouragement. No case has been found of anyone reaching the highest levels of achievement without _______ himself or herself to thousands of hours of serious training. Even those who are believed to be exceptionally talented — whether in music, mathematics, chess, or sports — have needed lengthy periods of instruction and practice to achieve their highest level of success. The persistent false belief that some people reach high levels of performance without spending numerous hours practicing __________ much to the fact that their practice is usually outside the casual observer’s view, stated one scientist.
The importance of practice has been noticed in athletics. For instance, differences in the composition of certain muscles were once thought to be __________ predictors of athletic performance. However, the differences in the proportion of certain muscle fibers(组织) that are __________ for success in long-distance running are largely the result of extended practice in running.
“What makes a genius then?” one may ask. __________ , there is no clear answer. What is known, however, is that nurture is at least as important as nature? __________, a supportive environment will do far more for a child’s prospects of success than any inborn gifts. This is a message that most of us will find __________ — even if we haven’t won the gene lottery, our fate is still in our own hands.
1.A.make B.challenge C.support D.dismiss
2.A.excellence B.harmony C.negotiation D.response
3.A.education B.practice C.fortune D.character
4.A.satisfied B.concerned C.decorated D.gifted
5.A.preciously B.practically C.previously D.primarily
6.A.break B.association C.partnership D.relief
7.A.doubted B.concluded C.mentioned D.applauded
8.A.accomplishment B.treasure C.diligence D.inspiration
9.A.adapting B.attaching C.linking D.devoting
10.A.carries B.leaves C.owes D.connects
11.A.creative B.reliable C.natural D.active
12.A.essential B.suitable C.possible D.feasible
13.A.Unlikely B.Similarly C.Hopefully D.Unfortunately
14.A.To sum up B.In other words C.For example D.In addition
15.A.misleading B.puzzling C.comforting D.amusing
Mother Teresa _______ great contribution to the world peace, _______ she was awarded the Nobel Price in 1979.
A.might have made, because B.must have made, for
C.could have make, since D.should have make, as
_______ hip-hop is popular with youngsters, I’m still not accustomed _______ it.
A.As, to appreciating B.Although, to appreciate
C.Even though, to appreciating D.While, to appreciate
Many people feel nervous _______ they attend a concert, so I recommend _______ the hall early to have enough time _______ yourself comfortable.
A.at the first time, arriving, to make B.the first time, to arrive, making
C.for the first time, reaching, making D.the first time, getting to, to make
