To learn an instrument such as the violin or accordion（手风琴）takes years. The job opportunities for musicians are scarce and competition is fierce. Then why are more people than ever before paying a lot of good cash to get their children the best music teaching they can afford?
The secret lies in the influence of music on the whole person. It has been found that learning a musical instrument actually increases a person’s IQ over time. Different instruments and different trypes of music have varying effect, with classical music and the string family coming out on top, potentially increasing you IQ by up to 12 points!
When is a good time to start learning music? Experts have found that even the fetus（胎儿）can benefit from listening to classical music. Surround yourself and your family with good music from the first. The Suzuki Piano Method teaches children from the age of 3 years piano, with two lessons per week. From preschool, children can learn to read music and play from sheet music. Progress in learning your instrument is directly proportional（成比例的）to the amount of practicing.
Is there such a thing as an unmusical child? Shinichi Suzuki proposes that music is the native home language of all human beings and therefore nobody can be “unmusical”. Of course there are exceptional talents, compared to which others may seem to be slower learners.
Is there any benefit for adults in starting an instrument? Apart from the purely relaxing aspect, yes. Learning an instrument can earn even adults additional IQ points, and as an added benefit in improves your health by reducing your stress levels. Your social life may benefit too, if you are prepared to come out of your box and join occasions such as Ceilidhs (musical get-togethers) or arrange house concerts. It has been established that people who play instruments tend to be more emotionally balanced and more patient with themselves, others and life in general.
So go ahead, sign up for that amateur orchestra, dust off your old trombone（长号）or take your first real six-string down from the attic（阁楼）; get out there and play!
1.Playing which of the following musical instruments can help increase a person’s IQ most?
A．The piano B．The violin C．The trombone D．The accordion
2.According to Shinichi Suzuki, .
A．The progress in learning an instrument depends on natural gifts
B．It is too late for an adult to start an instrument
C．Every child has a natural talent for music.
D．All people can understand and read music.
3.What can be inferred from the text?
A．Music can balance our life.
B．Music can improve our living conditions.
C．Playing instruments can make adults keep their IQ points.
D．Playing instruments can help us get along well with others.
4.By writing the text, the author mainly wants to .
A．persuade us to send our children to music schools
B．express his great interest in musical instruments
C．tell us the importance of Music in Development
D．invite us to attend Ceilidhs
Officials in the Midwestern U. S. town of Joplin, Missouri, say the death from Sundays’ big tornado reaches 116 and that search efforts continue for possible survivors trapped in rubble (碎石). Search and rescue teams are conducting their third sweep through the nearly 10 kilometer – long and one – kilometer wide area of destruction left by the tornado. They are working as quickly as possible while weather conditions remain relatively stable. More storms are forecast for the erea.
Joplin Fire Chief Mitch Randles said there are areas with large piles of rubble that might hold survivors. “We are still finding individuals. We did rescue seven individuals from underneath rubble yesterday and , of course, we are also finding dead folks as well.” Said mre folks and that is why we are doing these searches. We want to make every opportunity that we can to find everybody that is in the rubble and that has survived to this point.”
Randles said the current sweep involves a slower pace that previous searches and that he plans a fourth search, possibly on Wednesday, using specially trained dogs. “We are searching every structure that has been damaged or destroyed in a more in-depth manner, “he said.” I have dogs and dog handlers coming from all over the country do help us in that effort.”
Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr said the Red Cross and other volunteer organizations are helping people who were left homeless by the tornado and that the Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, is on hand to help. “Joplin is a great city. We have suffered a great loss, “said Rohr.” We will recover and we will recover strongly and we have a lot of help and a lot of volunteers to make that easier.”
The tornado that struck Joplin was classified by the Natioonal Weather Service as an F – 4, with winds of more than 300 kilometers per hour. It lasted only 20 minutes, but it killed more that 100 people, injured more than 400 others, and destroyed or heavily damaged some 2,000 homes, businesses, churches and a hospital. Authorities have registered more than 1,700 calls about missing people and they hope to resolve most of those cases soon, as victims are identified and survivors come forth and reunite with loved ones.
This was the worst tornado to strike the United States in 60 years. It was the latest in a wave of violent storms that have swept Midwestern and southern states in recent weeks, leaving more than 300 people dead an causing more than $2 billion dollars in damage.
1.The best headline for this newspaper article would be .
A．Difficulties in the Rescue
B．The Great Loss Brought by the Tornado
C．Search for Survivors After the Disaster
D．Worst Tornado in the USA
2.The word “resolve” in Para 5 probably means .
A．cover B．settle C．overcome D．challenge
3.The number of death caused by the tornado that struck Joplin reached more than .
A．100 B．300 C．400 D．1,700
4.From the text, it can be inferred that .
A．many victims might be under the ruins
B．it was impossible to find out surviors
C．the tornado lasted several weeks
D．the bad weather influenced the rescue greatly
Besides containing attractive flowers, trees and other plants that beautify the community, eco-friendly rain gardens are healthy for the environment and the people living and working nearby.
A rain garden is not very different from a traditional garden. It is just a far more eco-friendly garden. Usually it is built lower than the ground. Rain gardens make smart use of rain and storm water by temporarily holding water from rain and storms and letting it soak（浸人）slowly into the ground before it runs into streams or enters the public drinking water supply.
Thus, a rain garden keeps the water, allowing it to be used as needed by plants in the rain garden, rather than flowing immediately into nearby streams and going unused. The water will soak slowly into the ground within a day or two. This creates an advantage that the rain garden does not allow mosquitoes to breed. This is a simple, attractive, and eco-friendly “green” way to treat storm water.
What’s more, planting a rain garden helps reduce pollution and improve the environment. Without using expensive machinery and chemicals, rain gardens remove harmful chemicals in the rainwater and cut down on the amount of pollution reaching streams and rivers by up to 30%.
Native plants are recommended for rain gardens because they are more used to the locals climatem, soil, and water conditions. They may attract local wildlife such as native birds. Water your rain garden immediately after planting and once a week, unless you have had at least an inch of rain during the week. Once the native plants establish the necessary root system, it will require little care.
Often, local governments and private businesses develop large rain gardens in their yards and in public parks as a way to improve the environment and solve flooding problems. However, you don’t need to be a professional environmental engineer to create a rain garden. As long as you’re eco-conscious homeowners, you can help the environment by building smaller rain gardens in your yards.
1.Which of the following is the eco-friendly function of rain gardens discussed in Paragraph 4?
A．They can keep the rain and storm water.
B．They can help reduce the pollution problem.
C．They can be healthy for the people around.
D．They can make the environment more beautiful.
2.One of the main reasons why native plants are recommended is that .
A．they cost less and are much easier to get
B．they may attract local wildlife to come
C．they require little care from the local gardeners
D．they are more used to the local growing conditions
3.What do we know about rain gardens?
A．They need little water after all the plants are planted.
B．They usually need at least an inch of rainwater a week.
C．They may attract local birds and change the locals climate.
D．They may reduce the water pollution problem by 70%.
4.Who are the intended readers of the passage?
A．Homeowners. B．Governors. C．Engineers, D．Educators.
People use their mouths for many things. They eat, talk, shout and sing. They smile and they kiss. In the English language, there are many expressions using the word “mouth.”
For example, if you say bad things about a person, the person might protest and say “Do not bad mouth me.” Sometimes, people say something to a friend or family member that they later regret because it hurts that person’s feelings. Or they tell the person something they were not supposed to tell. The speaker might say: “I really put my foot in my mouth this time.” If this should happen, the speaker might feel down in the mouth. In other words, he might feel sad for saying the wrong thing.
Another situation is when someone falsely claims another person said something. The other person might protest: “I did not say that. Do not put words in my mouth.”
Some people have lots of money because they were born into a very rich family. There is an expression for this, too. You might say such a person, “was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.” This rich person is the opposite of a person who lives from hand to mouth. This person is very poor and only has enough money for the most important things in life, like food.
Parents might sometimes withhold sweet food from a child as a form of punishment for saying bad things. For example, if a child says things she should not say to her parents, she might be described as a mouthy child. The parents might even tell the child to stop mouthing off.
But enough of all this talk. I have been running my mouth long enough.
1.In what kind of situation will a person say “Do not bad mouth me.” ?
A．When he feels down. B．When he feels regretful.
C．When he is spoken ill of. D．When he feels innocent.
2.If a person feels sorry for what he has said, he might say “ .”
A．Do not bad mouth me
B．I really put my foot in my mouth this time
C．Do not put words in my mouth
D．Stop mouthing off
3.If a person lives from hand to mouth, it implies .
A．he is badly – off B．he is hard – working
C．he is well – off D．he has enough to eat
4.By saying, “I have been running my mouth long enough”, the speaker means “ ”.
A．I have run a long way B．I have been a mouthy person
C．I have learned a lot D．I have talked too much
Mearl Jacobs’ body was at the funeral home. The memorial service was 31 for the next day. We 32 in the family room to tell stories, sharing 33 of her. She had lived a life 34 with stories. Most people didn’t know that she had worked for thirty years at Rockwall International to help the homeless, or that 35 she really didn’t care much for baseball, she loved listening to the 36 because her son loved baseball.
Before long the 37 turned from stories about Mearl to stories of how she changed and 38 the lives in the room.
Her daughter Carol, said, “Just a few hours before Mom died she said she wanted to go home. I asked her if she 39 back to her apartment. She said, ‘NO!’ I asked, ‘Home in Heaven?’ ‘YES!’”
A series of love and 40 was realized that night. Mearl had lived a life that affected the young and old 41 . When she did so, you became a different person, a 42 and reformed person. She was 43 that way. She knew how to show the things that really 44 in the life. She 45 for values that she held dear and she always seemed to know how to influence people and to accept them “as is”. He grandkids talked of her 46 acceptance of them, no matter what.
Some things have to be seen to be understood, such as love, forgiveness and acceptance. Mearl knew how to help you 47 . She had always shown total 48 to the family and friends – to people.
The next day Mearl was 49 the topic. We buried the body, but she lives in all those, present and 50 . She is always there, giving and loving.
1.A．canceled B．ordered C．set D．left
2.A．gathered B．waited C．cried D．consulted
3.A．dinner B．memories C．possessions D．success
4.A．mixed B．combined C．compared D．filled
5.A．unless B．until C．if D．although
6.A．games B．songs C．operas D．stories
7.A．argument B．comment C．background D．conversation
8.A．rescued B．shaped C．lost D．prevented
9.A．meant B．moved C．dated D．went
10.A．curiosity B．envy C．kindness D．sympathy
11.A．equally B．hopefully C．eventually D．properly
12.A．happier B．better C．milder D．ruder
13.A．interested B．shocked C．puzzled D．gifted
14.A．lacked B．troubled C．mattered D．admitted
15.A．made up B．stood up C．watched out D．reached out
16.A．unnecessary B．unusual C．unconditional D．unfamiliar
17.A．see B．improve C．explain D．remove
18.A．appreciation B．devotion C．determination D．operation
19.A．almost B．still C．ever D．even
20.A．beyond B．behind C．within D．outside
As we know, a schedule may be more appropriately expnessed and analyzed if it is put a graph.
A．in the direction of B．in the process of
C．in the form of D．in the shape of
