Many artists late in the last century were in search of a means to express their individuality. Modern dance was one of the ways some of these people sought to free their creative spirit. The beginnings of modem dance were happening before Isadora Duncan, but she was the first person to bring the new dance to general audiences and see it accepted and acclaimed.
Her search for a natural movement form sent her to nature. She believed movement should be as natural as the swaying of the trees and the rolling waves of the sea. Her great contributions are in three areas.
First, she began the expansion of the kinds of movements that could be used in dance. Before Duncan danced, ballet was the only type of dance performed in concerts. In the ballet the feet and legs were emphasized, with virtuosity (技巧高超) shown by complicated, codified positions and movements. Duncan performed dance by using all her body in the freest possible way. Her dance stemmed from (源自) her soul and spirit. She was one of the pioneers who broke tradition so others might be able to develop the art.
Her second contribution lies in dance costumes (服装). She discarded corset, ballet shoes, and stiff costumes. These were replaced with flowing clothes, bare feet, and unlimited hair. She believed in the natural body being allowed to move freely, and her dress displayed this ideal.
Her third contribution was in the use of music. In her performances she used the symphonies (交响乐) of great masters, including Beethoven and Wagner, which was not the usual custom.
She was as exciting and eccentric in her personal life as in her dance.
1.. The best title for the passage would be“_________”.
A. Dance in the Twentieth Century
B. Artists of the Last Century
C. Natural Movement in Dance
D. A Pioneer in Modern Dance
2. According to the passage, nature meant_________ to Duncan.
A. something to conquer B. a model for movement
C. a place to find peace D. a symbol of disorder
3. The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses_________.
A. Duncan’s further contribution to modern dance
B. The music customarily used in ballet
C. other aspects of Duncan’s life
D. audience acceptance of the new form of dance
Several days ago, a Beijing-based IT company fired about 400 people overnight. No one had expected the job cuts, which broke with traditional ways of letting go of workers in China. Moreover, what was special about this case was that the day before the 400 were fired, they all received from their boss a gift—the book “Who Moved My Cheese?”
The book—a bestseller in the US—is being used by men and women to deal with changes in their lives and work. Some large organizations, including Coca-Cola, Kodak and General Motors, ask their employees to read it in order to encourage them to be active towards changes.
Cheese is something related to everyone’s livelihood-Our jobs, the industries we work in, relationships and love as well.
With China’s official entry into the WTO, the whole nation will face up to more changes and challenges. So what we should do once this “cheese” on which we are so dependent is moved?
“Whatever challenges and changes we meet, we should face up to them bravely,” Jiang Hengwei, a civil servant said after reading the book.
Professor Zhang Yang in Renmin University of China agrees. “We should change our way of thinking. The coming competitive foreign companies and products provide us with great chances to learn from them and improve our own products to meet international standards and be more competitive.”
“With hard work and wisdom, we will create a much larger and better piece of cheese.” Zhang smiled confidently.
1.. The whole passage is about_________.
A. a bestseller in the US
B. what people think about China’s entry into the WTO
C. the change in people’s attitude towards changes and challenges
D. how a book influences the Chinese workers
2. The company in Beijing gave each of the 400 fired workers a copy of “Who Moved My Cheese ”in order to_________.
A. be more competitive with foreign firms
B. find an excuse for their job cuts
C. let the workers make a living on their own
D. encourage the fired workers
3.. The word “cheese” in the passage can refer to_________.
A. something we depend on
B. a most important kind of food
C. change or challenge
D. way of life
4.. From what Heng wei and Professor Zhang Yang said, we can know that____________.
A. they have different opinions on changes and challenges
B. people are not afraid of competition from foreign companies
C. the Chinese people are ready to face any changes and challenges
D. they are both greatly encouraged by the book
The following diaries were written by an Australian boy named Tony. He was on holiday with his family in South Asia.
27 December, 2007
This morning I read an e-mail about a boy in hospital looking for his father and I finally thought of a way to help. I took my camera to the hospital and took photos of the boy. Now I’m going to set up a website on my dad’s computer, upload the photos and add his name and information of the hospital. Hopefully it will help!
2 January, 2008
At the end of the trip, I learned that the boy found his father! His Swedish uncle saw the e-mail on my webpage and arranged the meeting. Is it my website that has made such a success? But at least I’ve done something.
We’re returning home tomorrow but I will remember the experience and tell my friends: No matter what we are, we can think of a way to help others.
1.. Tony thought of the way to ______.
A. forget the experience
B. take photos of the travelers
C. set up a website for the hospital
D. help the boy find his father
2. ______ saw the e-mail and photos on the webpage and arranged the meeting.
A. The boy’s uncle B. Tony
C. Tony’s father D. The doctor
3. Tony was more likely to be ______ in South Asia.
A. living B. studying
C. shopping D. traveling
4. It can be learned from the diaries that ______.
A. people are willing to set up websites
B. Tony’s father worked in the hospital there
C. people can do something to help each other
D. Tony went there to look for his family members
It doesn’t matter when or how much a person sleeps, but everyone needs some rest to stay alive. That’s what all doctors thought, until they heard about Al Herpin. Al Herpin, it was said, never slept. Could this be true? The doctors decided to see this strange man themselves.
Al Herpin was 90 years old when the doctors came to his home in New Jersey. They thought for sure that he got some sleep of some kind. So they stayed with him and watched every movement he made. But they were surprised. Though they watched him hour after hour and day after day. They never saw Herpin sleeping. In fact, he did not even own a bed. He never needed one.
The only rest that Herpin sometimes got was sitting in a comfortable chair and reading newspapers. The doctors were puzzled by this strange continuous sleeplessness. They found only one answer that might explain his condition. Herpin remembered some talk about his mother having been injured several days before he was born. But that was all. Was this the real reason? No one could be sure. Herpin died at the age of 94.
1.. The main idea of this passage is that _______.
A. large numbers of people do not need sleep.
B. a person was found who actually didn’t need any sleep.
C. everyone needs some sleep to stay alive.
D. people can live longer by trying not to sleep.
2. The doctors came to visit Herpin, expecting to _______.
A. find that his sleeplessness was not really true.
B. cure him of his sleeplessness
C. find a way to free people from the need of sleeping.
D. find out why some old people didn’t need any sleep.
3.After watching him closely, the doctors came to believe that Al Herpin _______.
A. was too old to need any sleep.
B. often slept in a chair.
C. needed no sleep at all.
D. needed some kind of sleep.
4. One reason that might explain Herpin’s sleeplessness was _______.
A. that he hadn’t got a bed.
B. that he had gradually got tired of the sleeping habit.
C. his mother’s injury before he was born.
D. his magnificent physical condition.
Mr. Gray travelled a lot on business: He sold machines of different kinds to farmers.
He had a big car, and usually driving it long distances, but he was quite satisfied to go by sometimes too, especially when the was bad. He was a little afraid of driving in rain or snow, and it was tiring to sit comfortably in a train and looked out of the window without being worried about how was going to get to the next place.
One of Mr. Gray’s problems was often to stay when he reached some small place in the country. He did not great comfort and wonderful food, but he found it annoying (使恼火) when he was given a cold room, and there was no hot water or food after a long and day.
Late winter evening, Mr. Gray arrived at a small railway station. The by train that day had not been at all interesting, and Mr. Gray was cold and tired and . He was looking forward to a simple satisfying meal by a brightly burning fire，and then a hot bath and comfortable bed. he was walking to the taxi rank, he said to a local man who was also there. “As this is my first visit to this of the country and I was in too much of a hurry to about hotels before l left home, I would very much like to know you have here.”
The local man answered, “We have .”
“And which would you me to go to ?”Mr. Gray asked him.
The local man thought for a while and then answered, “Well, it’s like this: Whichever one you go to, you’ll be you didn’t go to the other.”
1.A. considered B. practised C. imagined D. enjoyed
2.A. train B. car C. himself D. plane
3.A. business B. condition C. road D. weather
4.A. least B. most C. less D. more
5.A. if B. one C. that D. she
6.A. where B. how C. what D. when
7.A. know B. need C. expect D. like
8.A. comfortable B. tiring C. nice D. special
9.A. that B. one C. the D. a
10.A. journey B. experience C. travel D. distance
11.A. unhappy B. sleepy C. angry D. hungry
12. A. but B. and C. or D. however
13.A. Until B. After C. Before D. While
14.A. walking B. looking on C. waiting D. visiting
15.A. town B. station C. land D. part
16.A. talk B. think C. move D. find out
17.A. what B. which one C. how many D. how
18.A. three B. one C. none D. two
19.A. want B. allow C. advise D. expect
20.A. sorry B. satisfied C. amused D. comfortable
I don't think she ____what happens to her children.
A. cares to B. cares about
C. cares for D. takes care of
