Violin prodigies (神童), I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. “It is very clear,” he told me. “They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know, are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
1. Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because ________.
A. it would allow them access to a better life in the West
B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional field
D. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country
2. Nurturing societies as mentioned in the passage refer to societies that ________.
A. are highly motivated in the education of music
B. treasure talent and provide opportunities for its full development
C. encourage people to compete with each other
D. promise talented children high positions
3.Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?
A. a natural gift. B. extensive knowledge of music.
C. very early training. D. a prejudice-free society.
4. Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. Jewish Contribution to Music B. Training of Musicians in the World
C. Music and Society D. The Making of Music Prodigies
The rise of the so-called “boomerang generation” is revealed in official figures showing that almost one in five graduates in their late 20s now live with their parents.
By contrast, only one in eight university graduates had failed to fly the nest by the same age 20 years ago. It also found that grown-up sons are twice as likely as their sisters to still be living with their parents in their late 20s. With nearly a quarter of men approaching 30 still living at home, the findings are bound to lead to claims of a “generation of mummy’s boys”.
Young professionals in their late 20s or early 30s have been nicknamed the “boomerang generation” because of the trend toward returning to the family home having initially left to study. Recent research has suggested that young people in Britain are twice as likely to choose to live with their parents in their late 20s than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe.
Rising property prices, mounting student debts and the effects of recession on the job market have forced a wave of young people to move back into the family home at an age when they would normally be moving out. But commentators warned that the phenomenon may have more to do with young people facing “dire” prospects than simply a desire to save money.
While the proportion of those of university or college age moving out from the family home has continued to rise in the last 20 years, among those in their mid and late 20s the trend has been reversed. Overall 1.7 million people aged from 22 to 29 now share a roof with their parents, including more than 760,000 in their late 20s. In 1988, 22.7 per cent of men aged 25 to 29 were still living with their parents but last year the proportion was 24.5 per cent.
1. What is the main idea of the passage?
A. The economic crisis has shown its effect on the young generation.
B. More young professionals are returning home to live.
C. British parents are suffering more loads from their grown-up children.
D. Britain is suffering more than any other country in Europe.
2. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Male children seem to more independent than females.
B. Eighty percent of university graduates were able to live independently two decades ago.
C. The grown-up children choose to live with their parents only to save money.
D. More and more children are moving out at university age.
3. What does the underlined word “dire” probably mean?
A. promising. B. inconvenient. C. very bad. D. hopeful
4. The following factors may account for the phenomenon except _____.
A. that living prices have risen a lot.
B. that it’s difficult to land a job.
C. that education has already cost them a lot
D. that parents can help them more
“Linda, if beating yourself up were an Olympic sport, you’d win a gold medal!”
Annabel, my close friend, stunned me with that frank observation after I told her how I had mishandled a situation with a student in a third-grade class where I was substituting. “I should never have let him go to the boy’s room without a pass! It was my fault he got into trouble with the hall monitor! I’m so stupid!”
My friend burst out laughing, and then made her “Olympic” comment. After a brief period of reflection I had to admit that she was right. I did put myself down an awful lot. Why, just during the previous day I had called myself “a slob” for having some papers spread out on my desk, “ugly” when I left the house without makeup and “an idiot” when I left the house for an emergency substitute job without my emergency lesson plan.
In a more reflective tone, Annabel said, “I once took a workshop at church where the woman in charge had us list all the mean things we say about ourselves.”
“How many did you have on your list?” I asked.
“Fifteen,” she confessed. “But then the teacher said, ‘Now turn to the person next to you and say all the items on your list as if you were speaking to that person!’ ”
My jaw dropped. “What did you do?”
“Nothing. Nobody did. We all just sat there, until I said, ‘I could never say these things to anyone else!’ ”
“And our teacher replied, ‘Well, if you can’t say them to anyone else, then don’t ever say them to yourself!’ ”
My friend had a point. I would never insult a child of God---and I’m God’s child, too!
God, today let me be as kind to myself as I would be to another of Your children.
1. What does Annabel mean by the first sentence of the passage?
A. The writer is a good athlete. B. The writer scolds herself too much.
C. She is encouraging the writer. D. A gold medal is not a big deal.
2. What does the writer intends to tell us through the second and third paragraphs?
A. She has low self-esteem over some small things.
B. She often makes serious mistakes in daily life.
C. She is a third-grade teacher.
D. She cares too much about her appearance.
3. We can infer that the underlined word “slob” might be _____.
A. something untidy B. someone dangerous
C. something dirty D. someone lazy
4. What does the writer mean by the last sentence of the passage?
A. She is ready to turn to God for help.
B. She will be kind to all children.
C. She won’t insult herself as well as others.
D. She is willing to be a child of God.
A week ago, I had the great pleasure of reading an e-book, When Money Talks, Listen! By Rich Ezzo. It took only about an hour to read.
When I first received a copy, I thought it was a Get Rich Quick type of publication. Nothing is wrong with Get Rich Quick, but my mind just doesn’t chase after dreams of wealth. I think that if God ever wants me to be rich, he knows where to find my purse.
When I began reading When Money Talks, Listen!, I was overjoyed to find that Rich Ezzo isn’t money hungry either. He, too, is hungry far more important than money.
Since I love this e-book so much, why wait a week to write the review? Simple. I wanted to see if the effect it had on me was a keeper. After reading the last word of the e-book, I totally agreed with the subtitle which promised to forever change the way we thought about money. I had so many thoughts running around my mind that I had to install(安装) a stoplight to stop some while others made their way into the picture, then I yielded(让路) them as a few ones arrived in town. I had a mental traffic jam, which only goes to show how slow the traffic usually is.
It has been a week and the effect is the same. I truly do look at money differently and have even done a few things differently this week. This is an e-book you’ll want to read, I promise. I often recommend books to my daughter, and this is one that I didn’t just “suggest”---I left it open at the bottom of the computer and told each one, “Read it, you’ll love it.”
I would never point someone in a direction I wouldn’t go myself. I urge you to visit the author’s website, Myster Money, and to download the e-book. You won’t regret it.
1. According to the passage, a Get Rich Quick type of publication ______
A. is what the author really cares for
B. deals with how to make money
C. is also an e-book written by Rich Ezzo
D. is more popular than e-books
2.The author didn't write the review as soon as he finished reading the book
because________.
A. he was too excited to write anything
B. he was not sure whether he did well
C. he had to wait for Rich Ezzo's permission
D. he wondered if the book would have long influence on him
3. By saying the underlined sentence in Paragraph 4, the author probably _________.
A. shows that the book brought him many new thoughts
B. shows how bad the traffic is in town
C. describes the difficulty in understanding the book
D. explains it's hard to change one's attitude to money
4. Which of the following is supported by the passage?
A. The author had known Rich Ezzo before.
B. The author hasn't dreamed of getting rich immediately.
C. The author always prefers e-books to paper books.
D. The author likes Get Rich Quick-type of publications.
完形填空 （ 共20小题；每小题1.5分，满分30分 ）
阅读下面短文，掌握其大意。然后在各题所给的A,B,C,D四个选项中选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。
I was recently invited to lecture on anxiety to several hundred mental-health professionals. My talk was scheduled to ____21__those of a number of famous psychiatrists. When my turn came, I was especially ___22__ because the speaker before me had been particularly impressive and charming. As I approached the podium(讲台)， my heart pounded and my mouth went completely ___23__.
What am I doing here? I asked myself. To make matters worse, my presentation partly __24___ with fear of public speaking. To ___25__ myself, I tried an unusual way. I asked the audience,” How many of you feel nervous__26___ you give a speech. Nearly every hand __27__. “Well, that’s exactly _28__ I feel right now!”
The audience___29__ with laughter. I relaxed and was able to get on with my __30__.
__31__, we all find ourselves in a __32___ that makes us nervous. Perhaps you’re afraid of saying __33___things at a drinking party, stumbling over a presentation at work or having your __34__go blank during a test. For some of us the anxiety is so __35__ that it is personally and professionally incapability.___36__ the years, my work with hundreds of patients has taught me that __37__ can increase his or her social ___38___, even in the most stressful situations. And I have a few simple but helpful___39__, such as tackling your fears one step at a time; focusing on others; ___40__anxity into energy and stopping comparing yourself, which I think are of great value to us in our work.
1. A. take B. follow C. observe D. learn
2.A. worried B. eager C. nervous D. anxious
3. A. sweet B. wet C. bad D. dry
4. A. dealt B. went C. stayed D. left
5. A. comfort B. calm C. enjoy D. delight
6.A. during B. while C. before D. when
7.A. went up B. raised C. lifted D. brought up
8. A. what B. how C. when D. why
9. A. shouted B. cried C. responded D. answered
10. A. job B. idea C. speech D. nervousness
11. A. At times B. At any time C. All the time D. At one time
12. A. state B. condition C. situation D. position
13. A. foolish B. wonderful C. believable D. false
14. A. head B. mind C. heart D. brain
15. A. important B. valuable C. difficult D. strong
16. A. For B. Through C. During D. Over
17. A. anyone B. someone C. none D. no one
18.A. position B. experience C. knowledge D. confidence
19.A. tips B. ideas C. means D. abilities
20. A. putting B. turning C. forcing D. getting
1. _______ we admit that there are still some problems about the system of modern education, we don’t mean that it is of no use.
A. Until B. While C. As D. Unless
