Probably no other musical instrument is as popular as the guitar. Musicians use the guitar for almost every kind of music. Country and western music would not be the same without a guitar. The traditional Spanish folk music called Flamenco could not exist without a guitar. The sound of American blues music would not be the same without the sad cry of the guitar. And rock and roll music would almost be impossible without this instrument.
Some music experts say an instrument very much like a guitar was played in Egypt more than one thousand years ago. Some other experts say that the ancestor of the modern guitar was brought to Spain from Persia sometime in the twelfth century. The guitar continued to develop in Spain. In the 1700s, it became similar to the instrument we know today.
Many famous musicians played the instrument. The famous Italian violinist Niccolo Paganinni played and wrote music for the guitar in the early 1800s. Franz Schubert used the guitar to write some of his famous works. One kind of music for the guitar developed in the southern area of Spain called Adalusia. It will always be strongly linked with the Spanish guitar. It is called Flamenco.
In the 1930s, Les Paul began experimenting with ways to make an electric guitar. He invented the solid body electric guitar in 1946. The guitar has always been important to blues music. With the electric guitar, Les Paul helped make modern blues music possible. There have been many great blues guitarists. Yet, music experts say all blues guitar players are measured against one man and his famous guitar. That man is B. B. King. Every blues fan knows that years ago B. B. King named his guitar Lucille. Here B. B. King plays Lucille on his famous recording of “The Thrill Is Gone”. Lucille, B. B. King's large, beautiful black guitar, is important to American music. Visitors can see King's very first guitar at the Rock and Soul Museum in Memphis, Tennessee. The museum is the only permanent exhibit organized by the Smithsonian Institution outside Washington, D. C. , and New York City.
1.Where did the modern guitar finally come into being?
A.Spain. B.Egypt.
C.Persia. D.Italy.
2.What does the last paragraph mainly tell us?
A.The musician B. B. King named his guitar Lucille.
B.The Rock and Soul Museum first opened in Memphis.
C.The electric guitar promoted the development of the blues.
D.The exhibit was first organized by the Smithsonian Institution.
3.What would be the best title for this passage?
A.Traditional Folk Music B.Guitar and Music
C.Violinist and Blues D.Flamenco and Guitar
Our wedding was about to begin. My throat was tight and my cheeks got red, but I didn’t care. I was ready to marry David Sanchez. We’re a “nontraditional” couple: getting married not at a church but in a bookstore that supports a charity to fight H.I.V. and homelessness.
“Kim! I could walk you down the aisle if you like!” David’s father offered gently.
“I'm OK. But I appreciate that,” I said with a smile. And I was reminded, again, of my dad's absence.
My father died of cancer six weeks ago. For the last two months, we tried to make him feel comfortable and loved as he departed from this world. He always told us that he didn’t like a funeral and insisted our wedding go forward as planned. But how could we honor him since the wedding would be the first time the family would gather after his death and some even didn’t know he was sick?
During the ceremony, my dear friend Eva delivered a reading entitled “When Things Go Missing” by Kathryn Schulz. She paused and got everyone on the same page: “When we are experiencing it, loss often feels like confusion in the usual order of things. In fact, the entire plan of the universe consists of losing, and life amounts to a reverse（逆向的）savings account in which we are eventually robbed of everything.”
I felt the energy full of the room. Everyone was listening. By choosing to accept the pain, we knew what a wedding does to join two families and mark the next chapter for a couple. Loss became a compass that pointed us away from a fantasy and toward celebrating the difficult realities of life.
After rings were exchanged, fried chicken was served, our friends offered so many funny and touching toasts, and finally David sang “Married” on my father’s guitar. I felt joy filling all the holes in my soul. Celebrating my father’s life at our wedding made me grateful for all the time I had spent with him, because it all goes by so fast.
1.Why did David’s father offer to walk the author down the aisle?
A.To relieve her tension. B.To play the author’s late father’s role.
C.To welcome her to his family. D.To contribute something to the charity.
2.What does the underlined sentence in paragraph 6 suggest?
A.Kim could distance herself from the pain.
B.Kim knew how to start her new family.
C.Kim got more courage for marriage and life.
D.Kim imagined she would meet more challenges.
3.What do we know about Kim and David’s wedding ceremony?
A.It was a touching and happy one. B.Kim and David turned it into a funeral.
C.It was held at a church. D.There was no other activity except reading.
假如你是李华，你的学校近期邀请专家进行一场关于中国书法的讲座，请你写一封电子邮件，邀请在你校就读的美国朋友Doris一同参加。内容包括：
1. 讲座的时间，地点；
2. 讲座的主要内容。
注意：1.词数100左右；
2.可以适当增加细节，以使行文连贯；
3.开头语已为你写好。
参考词汇：书法：calligraphy
Dear Doris,
How is it going recently?
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Yours,
Li Hua
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号（∧），并在下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线（﹨）划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意： 1.每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2.只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
In the past, people only printed books and magazine to read. However, in recent years, the way to reading has been changed greatly. Some paper books have replaced by e-books. More and more people prefer to read e-books in the computer.
In my opinion, reading e-books can bring great benefits. First of all, comparing with paper books, e-books are many more convenient to read. We can read e-books whenever we are freely and wherever we are. It is especially good for those that are always on the go. Second, reading e-books is the good way to protect the environment because we need not to cut down trees to produce paper any more.
1._________
2._________
3._________
4._________
5._________
6._________
7._________
8._________
9._________
10._________
阅读下面材料，在空白处填入适当的内容（1个单词）或括号内单词的正确形式。
1.（locate）in Nanping County, Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, Jiuzhaigou Ravine extends 80 kilometers in one direction and takes up 2.area of more than 60,000 hectares（公顷）. The area3. (consist) of six scenic spots——Changhai, Jianyan, Nuorilang, Shuzheng, Zharu 4. Heihai. The mountains, lakes, natural primeval（原始的） forest, beautiful flowers all make Jiuzhaigou a fairyland. Mountains ranging 1,980 to about 3,100 meters 5. height are covered by a variety of trees and plants.
Scenes change according to the season and the area is particularly colorful in autumn when the wind makes6. (kilometer) of tree belt along the lake wave like a sea. The Shuzheng Scenic Spot is one of the central point of Jiuzhaigou's landscape. The spot, 7.covers an area of three square kilometers, is made up of 40 lakes extending five kilometers along a valley. The lakes vary in color according to 8.(they) depths and scenery around them. 9.(obvious), the magnificent view in Jiuzhaigou will make you reluctant to leave, and don't forget that the autumn is the 10.(good) season to visit it.
I got off the bus, walking towards my home. It was_________. Opening the door, I was _______by the smells of pine and oranges. Just then I heard a(n)_______voice, “You’re home, brother! Come to_______with me!” Melissa, my baby sister, looked at me_______.
Too old, I felt, for her_______. So I thought of a(n)_______to make her not cry. “OK,” I said, “_______you share your red car with me, I will . I only like the car.” Melissa quickly_______the car tightly, ran to her bedroom and shouted, “No!” She never let others even__________the car.
A moment later, Melissa asked me, “Have you got me any__________yet?” “Not yet, but I will, ” I said. “I’ve got __________ I’m giving you,” said Melissa.
The day of__________gifts quickly came. I sent Melissa a__________statue(塑像) bought at the local dollar store. The whole family were excited to__________ and open gifts. “We need a truck for the package paper,” Dad joked, sweeping up the wastes.
“Wait, Daddy!” said Melissa. “I’ve another gift for my brother.” Clearly she had__________ the gift herself. It had at least four layers(层) of paper. I tore off the package’s papers, saying, “Melissa, I can’t…” “What is it?” asked Mom__________. I pulled back the rest of the paper so as to__________the gift to my parents—Melissa’s favourite red car. Looking at the__________ gift I had given her, my face went red with__________. The dog statue seemed to be barking and laughing at me.
1.A.Christmas vacation B.National Day C.Children’s Day D.summer vacation
2.A.embarrassed B.greeted C.surprised D.amazed
3.A.worried B.astonished C.excited D.satisfied
4.A.chat B.draw C.sing D.play
5.A.calmly B.quietly C.eagerly D.worriedly
6.A.songs B.tools C.toys D.pets
7.A.suggestion B.joke C.entertainment D.trick
8.A.Once B.If C.Since D.Unless
9.A.threw B.pulled C.pushed D.held
10.A.borrow B.see C.touch D.push
11.A.car B.chocolate C.gift D.clothes
12.A.who B.what C.that D.which
13.A.exchanging B.buying C.choosing D.sending
14.A.fish B.cat C.bird D.dog
15.A.accept B.receive C.give D.make
16.A.decorated B.designed C.prepared D.created
17.A.curiously B.seriously C.clearly D.carefully
18.A.hand B.bring C.send D.show
19.A.cheap B.ugly C.rare D.dirty
20.A.interest B.shame C.anger D.joy
