After a day of work and play, the body needs, to rest．Sleep is necessary for good health．During this time, the body recovers from the activities of the previous day．The rest that you get while sleeping enables your body to prepare itself for the next day．

　　There are four levels of sleep, each being a little deeper than the one before．As you sleep, your muscles relax (肌肉放松) little by little．Your heart beats more slowly, and your brain slows down．After you reach the fourth level, your body shifts back and forth from one level of sleep to the others．

　　Although your mind slows down, from time to time you will dream．Scientists who study sleep state that when dreaming starts, your eyeballs begin to move quickly (although your eyelids are closed)．This stage of sleep is called REM, which stands for rapid eye movement．

　　If you have trouble falling asleep, some people recommend (推荐) breathing very slowly and very deeply．Other people believe that drinking warm milk will help make you drowsy．There is also an old suggestion that counting sheep should put you to sleep．

1．A good title for this passage is________．

[　　]

2．The word “drowsy” in the passage means________．

[　　]

3．This passage suggests that not getting enough sleep might make you________．

[　　]

A．dream more often

B．have poor health

C．move eyeballs less quickly

D．look a bit too old

Several years ago I studied in a university in the biggest city in our country. It’s very beautiful, I could read lots of books there and I made lots of friends there. But it’s hot in  11 . So I usually returned to my hometown when my   12  began. It is not big, but it’s cool and quiet. I could   13  in the daytime and have a good sleep at night.

One day I had some problems to solve. But I didn’t take the   14  home. My father told me Charlie, one of my   15 , had a good library. I went to his house at once. We didn’t see each other after I   16  my middle school. At first he didn’t   17  me. He looked me up and down. And then he called out, “Oh, dear! It’s you, Fred! I haven’t seen you for a long time!”

Of course we were   18  to meet each other again and talked a lot about our schoolmates and   19 . We also talked about the interesting things at that time. Later on he showed me around his   20 . It wasn’t big but there were a lot of nice books in it. And the dictionaries I   21  were in it too. At last I said, “Can you   22  some dictionaries to me, please?”

“I’m sorry I don’t lend any books to others,” said the young man.

“Are you afraid I’ll   23  them?”

“No, I’m not. I’m afraid you won’t   24  them to me. Look! All the books in my library are not   25 , but borrowed!”

1.                A．spring          B．summer        C．autumn   D．winter

 

2.                A．birthday        B．Saturday        C．Sunday   D．holiday

 

3.                A．study          B．play            C．rest  D．work

 

4.                A．books          B．notebooks       C．dictionaries    D．magazines

 

5.                A．brothers        B．sisters          C．neighbors D．classmates

 

6.                A．finished        B．heard of        C．looked at D．visited

 

7.                A．see            B．hear           C．recognize D．call

 

8.                A．angry          B．happy          C．worried  D．sad

 

9.                A．doctors         B．teachers        C．workers  D．drivers

 

10.               A．factory         B．office          C．library D．house

 

11.               A．needed        B．read           C．wrote D．liked

 

12.               A．pass           B．send           C．give  D．lend

 

13.               A．lose           B．sell            C．throw D．read

 

14.               A．pay            B．return         C．send  D．give

 

15.               A．found          B．given          C．won  D．bought

 

 

Many children act in TV shows. They work several hours every day, so they cannot go to a regular school. How do they get an education?

In Hollywood, where many TV shows are made, about forty teachers are working. The teacher’s job is very important. She is responsible for making sure that the children work only the permitted hours each week. She is also responsible for making sure that children learn the required subjects. She makes sure too, that the children get enough rest and play, gives lessons to the children in the shows. She teaches wherever the children are working.

Children actors are required to attend classes twenty hours each week. California law says that they must be taught from September to the middle of June. If they do not get good marks in school, they are not permitted to continue working in TV shows.

TV children are usually good pupils, and most of their teachers like this special kind of work. Their classes are held in many interesting places. Sometimes the “classroom” is a Mississippi riverboat. Sometimes it is the inside of a spaceship. Often the pupils become famous stars.

56. TV children have classes ________.

A. at a regular school                                 B. wherever they are working

C. wherever the teacher likes                      D. at the school in Hollywood

57. What else does the teacher do besides teaching?

A. Make sure that the children don’t overwork.

B. Act in some important shows.

C. Make sure that the children have enough rest and play.

D. Both A and C.

58. If they fail in the required subjects, TV children ______.

A. are allowed to study for another year

B. must go to a good school

C. must be taught from September to the middle of June

D. are not allowed to work in TV shows any longer

59. What is this talk mainly about?

A. The education of TV children.

B. Child actors in TV.

C. How good pupils become TV children.

D. A special kind of school in TV.

Norah wins big at Grammy Awards

Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The 23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New York, dominated(统治)the 45th annual Grammy Awards—the music industry’s most prestigious(赫赫有名的)award ceremony.

She seemed as surprised as everyone else that her first album, “Come Away With Me”, was such a big success. It won her the most wanted awards, including Album of the Year(年度最佳专辑), Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

“I can’t believe this, I feel really blessed and really lucky to have this year, ”said the wide-eyed girl at the ceremony.

Jones grew up in Texas, US, with her mother. Her parents separated before she was born. She began singing in church choirs(唱诗班)at the age of five and started piano lessons two years later.

At the age of 15, Jones entered the High School for the Performing Arts in Washington. She won Best Jazz Singer and Best Original Composition(最佳原创作品)at the 1996 and 1997 Student Music Awards.

She had always enjoyed singing, but felt the piano would be a more solid foundation in life. So Jones chose to study jazz piano music at the University of North Texas for two years before taking a trip to New York City.

The trip started out as a summer vacation. But Jones soon realized she wanted to stay for a while, “The music scene in New York is so huge and exciting. Everything opened up for me. I couldn’t leave, ”she said.

Jones became friends with local songwriters and was inspired(激励)to write her own songs. She began to sing and play the piano in a band. She got her break in 2001 and released “Come Away With Me”the following year.

The album is a blend(融合)of jazz, country and folk-pop. It has now sold more than 6 million copies around the world and has won much praise from the music industry. “She makes an album that people will remember in 20 years. ”said American country singer Faith Hill.

What is jazz?

Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans, US. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from African work songs, songs of sorrow and hymns(赞美诗). The character of jazz is spontaneous(自然的)and emotional. It is usually played by small bands made up of a cornet(短号), clarinet(单簧管), trombone(长号)and guitar.

1. Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. From this sentence, we can see she was ________________that night.

A. tired　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. having difficulties going to sleep

C. excited　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. too busy to sleep

2. What does the writer mean by saying“…who found her voice in the small clubs of New York” in the first paragraph?

A. She once lost her voice and after some medical treatment in New York, she found her voice.

B. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realized she was a good singer.

C. She started to sing in those clubs.

D. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her singing style.

3. At the end of Paragraph 3, the writer uses the description “wide-eyed” to show Norah was________________.

A. a girl with big eyes　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. very surprised

C. inexperienced　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. opening her eyes wide

4. Put the events listed below in the correct order.

a. Norah started learning the piano. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

b. She won Student Music Awards.

c. She studied jazz piano music. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

d. She sang in church choirs.

e. She took a trip to New York.

A. abcde　　　　　　　　　　   B. dabce　　　　　　　　　　   C. dcabe　　　　　　　　    
v;   D. abdce

5. At the end of the last paragraph but two(倒数第二段), the writer mentions that “she got her break in 2001”. What does it mean?

A. She got a rest that year.

B. She made some changes that year.

C. She reached a high point that year.

D. A lucky chance appeared and she made some achievement that year.

 

Norah wins big at Grammy Awards

Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The 23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New York, dominated(统治)the 45th annual Grammy Awards—the music industry’s most prestigious(赫赫有名的)award ceremony.

She seemed as surprised as everyone else that her first album, “Come Away With Me”, was such a big success. It won her the most wanted awards, including Album of the Year(年度最佳专辑), Song of the Year and Best New Artist.

“I can’t believe this, I feel really blessed and really lucky to have this year, ”said the wide-eyed girl at the ceremony.

Jones grew up in Texas, US, with her mother. Her parents separated before she was born. She began singing in church choirs(唱诗班)at the age of five and started piano lessons two years later.

At the age of 15, Jones entered the High School for the Performing Arts in Washington. She won Best Jazz Singer and Best Original Composition(最佳原创作品)at the 1996 and 1997 Student Music Awards.

She had always enjoyed singing, but felt the piano would be a more solid foundation in life. So Jones chose to study jazz piano music at the University of North Texas for two years before taking a trip to New York City.

The trip started out as a summer vacation. But Jones soon realized she wanted to stay for a while, “The music scene in New York is so huge and exciting. Everything opened up for me. I couldn’t leave, ”she said.

Jones became friends with local songwriters and was inspired(激励)to write her own songs. She began to sing and play the piano in a band. She got her break in 2001 and released “Come Away With Me”the following year.

The album is a blend(融合)of jazz, country and folk-pop. It has now sold more than 6 million copies around the world and has won much praise from the music industry. “She makes an album that people will remember in 20 years. ”said American country singer Faith Hill.

What is jazz?

Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans, US. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from African work songs, songs of sorrow and hymns(赞美诗). The character of jazz is spontaneous(自然的)and emotional. It is usually played by small bands made up of a cornet(短号), clarinet(单簧管), trombone(长号)and guitar.

1. Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. From this sentence, we can see she was ________________that night.

A. tired　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. having difficulties going to sleep

C. excited　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. too busy to sleep

2. What does the writer mean by saying“…who found her voice in the small clubs of New York” in the first paragraph?

A. She once lost her voice and after some medical treatment in New York, she found her voice.

B. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realized she was a good singer.

C. She started to sing in those clubs.

D. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her singing style.

3. At the end of Paragraph 3, the writer uses the description “wide-eyed” to show Norah was________________.

A. a girl with big eyes　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    B. very surprised

C. inexperienced　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　    D. opening her eyes wide

4. Put the events listed below in the correct order.

a. Norah started learning the piano. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　  

b. She won Student Music Awards.

c. She studied jazz piano music. 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　   

d. She sang in church choirs.

e. She took a trip to New York.

A. abcde　　　　　　　　　　   B. dabce　　　　　　　　　　   C. dcabe　　　　　　　　　　   D. abdce

5. At the end of the last paragraph but two(倒数第二段), the writer mentions that “she got her break in 2001”. What does it mean?

A. She got a rest that year.

B. She made some changes that year.

C. She reached a high point that year.

D. A lucky chance appeared and she made some achievement that year.