Edmonton's Downtown Park is transformed into one huge stage for five days where artists are able to share their talents, and where people are able to celebrate and enjoy themselves. Since its beginning in 1980, the Edmonton Folk Music Festival has been commemorating (纪念）the true feeling of what folk music is all about and that’s the traditional togetherness (友爱）that is felt when people gather to share stories and feelings through song.
This year will be the sixth year when volunteer Riedel will be offering up her time to the festival. “People coming off a busy spring and summer have a moment of relaxation,” Riedel said. “It’s really easy to relax, and it’s great seeing family and friends have fun together.” These families and friends come from all different kinds of musical tastes. People who take pleasure in Blues are there, so are people who love Bluegrass. This festival does its best to develop everyone's musical interests.
With so many years of experience, the festival has become a well-oiled machine, and does whatever it can to make attendees feel as comfortable as possible. There are free water stations throughout the venue (举办地）for people to fill up their travel cups. When people buy food, reusable dishes are given a $2 plate fee, but that is returned when the plate is brought back.
The festival has completely sold out of tickets, and in record time. But with big names such as Van Morrison and Jakob Dylan, it’s easy to see how that was going to happen. There is no parking area during the festival, so using the Park & Ride system or Edmonton Transit is highly recommended. A bike lock-up area is provided and will be available Thursday until Sunday one hour before the gates open until 45 minutes after the gates close.
The Edmonton Folk Music Festival begins on Wednesday, Aug.4 with Van Morrison playing the special donation fund concert, and will finish up on Sunday, Aug.8.
1.The Edmonton Folk Music Festival is held mainly to _______.
A. gather people with different musical tastes
B. collect old stories of folk music
C. exhibitive good voices of great talents in folk music
D. remind people of the real sense of folk music
2.Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. It costs people a little to fill up their cups from water stations.
B. It’s hard for people to appreciate Blues.
C. Riedel has volunteered for the festival for at least 5years.
D. People have to pay $2 for a plate of food.
3.We can learn from the passenger that .
A. the Edmonton Folk Music Festival is well organized
B. people can get tickets easily for the festival
C. driving one’s own car to the festival is highly recommended
D. bikes are available at the festival from Wednesday to Sunday
4.What would the best title for the passage?
A. Folk Music of Blues
B. Edmonton’s Downtown Park
C. Festival for Family Gathering
D. One Festival for All
It was a dark, wet November morning. It seemed like it would take a million years to get to summer again. I thought bears have got it right---- what a perfect idea to sleep through the worst part of the year and wake up when spring comes!
“Want some words of affirmation(肯定)?” a coworker, seeing my mood, kindly suggested. “You don’t think they would cheer you up?”
“Today? No.” I shook my head.
“I used to think so too,” he said, “until I realized the effect my words had on a certain person. Well, it was someone I knew pretty well. I have to say I treated him rather badly.”
“You? But you are always so positive! How did you treat him badly?”
“I told him I did not like anything about him, really. I told him I did not even like his name. In fact, it wasn’t only what I said. I also did pretty bad things to him. When he was hungry, I did not give him the chance to eat proper food. When he felt like doing something fun, I said to him that he was being childish and having fun was not productive (有成果的). And worst of all, when he was sick and needed care, I did not care. I told him to get up and get to work. And when he did, I never told him he did good work. You could say I was ashamed of him,” he said. “I wanted to get rid of him because he just wasn’t good enough for me---but couldn’t.”
“But that was heartless!”
He nodded. “Then one day it all changed. I stood there in front of the bathroom mirror one morning. I saw the dark circles under his eyes, I saw the excess (过量的) weight. I saw the hair that needed cutting. And I saw the eyes that once had looked at the world eagerly. Now they were so sad and tired. And there and then I realized he deserved better. So I told the man I had disliked for so many years that he was a good person after all.”
My jaw (下巴) dropped. I looked at him---full of positive energy, in good shape, always ready to encourage others.
“Wow…”
He winked (眨眼) at me. “So how about having a little positive conversation with the bathroom mirror? The person in there has the greatest effect on you!”
1.The first paragraph implies that .
A. the author felt frustrated that morning
B. the weather in November was the worst in a year
C. the author didn’t enjoy his work environment
D. the author always felt bad in winter
2.The author’s coworker used to be a person who .
A. was very proud of himself
B. treated people differently
C. worked hard to keep fit
D. criticized himself a lot
3.Which paragraph gives a clue about who the person that a author’s coworker treated badly was?
A. Paragraph 4. B. Paragraph 8.
C. Paragraph 6. D. The last paragraph.
4.What does the author’s coworker suggest the author do?
A. Be helpful to those in need.
B. Be confident in the face of difficulty.
C. Be positive about himself.
D. Be kind to those who make mistakes.
阅读下面短文，从短文后各题所给的四个选项（A、B、C和D）中，选出可以填入空白处的最佳选项。
John Smith and Sam Bush were experienced professional mountain-climbing players. But they would never forget the life-changing moments on the Andes mountains. They reached the top but on their way back conditions were very . John fell and broke his leg. They both knew that if Sam alone, he would probably get back . But Sam decided to risk his and try to lower John down the mountain on a rope （绳）.
As they down, the weather got worse. Then another occurred. They couldn’t see or hear each other and, , Sam lowered his friend over the edge of a precipice（峭壁）. It was for John to climb back or for Sam to pull him up. Joe’s was pulling Sam slowly towards the precipice. , after more than an hour in the dark and the icy cold, Sam had to . In tears, he cut the rope. John into a large crevasse（裂缝）in the ice below. He had no food or water and he was in terrible pain. He couldn’t walk, but he to get out of the crevasse and started to towards their camp, nearly ten kilometers .
Sam had the camp at the foot of the mountain. He thought that John must be , but he didn’t want to leave . Three days later, in the middle of the night, he heard John’s voice. He couldn’t it. John was there, a few meters from their tent, still alive.
1.A. successfully B. carefully C. hurriedly D. early
2.A. similar B. difficult C. special D. normal
3.A. climbed B. continued C. worked D. rested
4.A. unwillingly B. regretfully C. slowly D. safely
5.A. life B. time C. health D. fortune
6.A. lay B. went C. settled D. looked
7.A. damage B. storm C. trouble D. change
8.A. by chance B. by mistake C. by choice D. by luck
9. A. unnecessary B. practical C. important D. impossible
10.A. height B. strength C. weight D. equipment
11.A. Surely B. Patiently C. Finally D. Quickly
12.A. stand back B. take a rest C. hold on D. make a decision
13.A. jumped B. fell C. escaped D. backed
14.A. managed B. planned C. waited D. hoped
15.A. run B. move C. skate D. march
16.A. around B. away C. above D. along
17.A. headed for B. travelled to C. returned to D. left for
18.A. dead B. hurt C. weak D. late
19.A. secretly B. immediately. C. tiredly D. anxiously
20.A. believe B. find C. make D. accept
---Shall we go fishing on Saturday or Sunday?
--- Up to you. _______.
A. That’s all right. B. Never mind
C. That’s not the point. D. It makes no difference to me.
It was at the street bend ______he was making a sudden turn ______Tom crashed into a tree.
A. that; which B. when; that
C. where; that D. which; that
The book tells stories of the earthquake through the eyes of those ______ lives were affected.
A. which B. that C. who D. whose
