“I grew up on Jackson’s music and I still have all his stuff on My iPod. I think that Michael Jackson will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways，sad personal life.”
Michael Jackson was a singer，songwriter，dancer and celebrity icon with a vast catalog of hit records and countless awards to his credit. Beyond that，he had transfixed the world like few entertainers before or since. As a solo performer，he had enjoyed a level of superstardom previously known  ——Barack Obama
only to Elvis Presley，the Beatles and  Frank Sinatra.
Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the 80s’，and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time.
Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29,1958.The fifth and youngest son of steelworker Joe Jackson，Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His father began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962，and Michael joined them the following year，quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. Dubbed the Jackson 5，the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969，when Michael was just 11 years old. I Want You Back，ABC，The Love You Save and I’ll Be There all hit number one in 1970，making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Later in 1972，Jackson had his first number one solo single，Ben. In 1977，he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. With Jones producing，Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult，Off the Wall.
Released（发行） in 1982，the Quincy Jones produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall：the dance and rock tracks were more driving，the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful，and all of it was recognizably Michael. There was no surprise that Thriller was a hit；what was a surprise was its staying power .Jackson’s duet with McCartney，The Girl Is Mine，was a natural single choice，and it peaked at number two；then Billie Jean and the Van Halen track Beat It both hit number one，for seven and three weeks respectively.
Michael Jackson died from heart disease on June 25 at age 50.
【小题1】What does Barack Obama mean by saying “His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways，sad personal life”？

A．Michael Joseph Jackson was a success in his career as well as in life.

B．Michael Joseph Jackson was a success in his career.

C．Michael Joseph Jackson led a happy life.

D．Michael Joseph Jackson gained a lot in his career，but he also suffered a lot in his life.

【小题2】According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true?

A．Barack Obama likes Michael Jackson’s song very much.

B．Barack Obama and Michael Jackson are good friends.

C．Michael is good at music as well as at dance.

D．Michael Jackson had his first number one solo single when he was 14 years old.

【小题3】Choose the right time order of the following events.
a．Barack Obama，President of the US，assessed the whole life of Michael Jackson.
b．The family musical group signed to Motown.
c．Michael joined the family musical group.
d．His father began to organize a family musical group.
e．Thriller became a hit.

A．a－c－e－b－d	B．d－c－b－e－a
C．b－e－a－c－d	D．d－e－b－c－a

【小题4】What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Michael Jackson’s job.	B．How Michael Jackson performed.
C．Michael Jackson’s great achievements.	D．Michael Jackson’s life.

　　The big Town Hall clock was striking midnight when Frank began to cross the bridge. The dark night air was cold and slightly wet, and the street lamp gave little light.

　　Frank was anxious to get home and his footsteps rang loudly on the pavement（人行道）. When he reached the middle of the bridge he thought he could hear someone coming near behind him. He looked back but could see no one. However, the sound continued and Frank began to walk more quickly. Then he slowed down again, feeling shame at having acted so foolishly. There was nothing to fear in a town as quiet as this.

　　Just then, he heard short, quick steps closely behind him. By the time he reached the other side of the bridge, he could almost feel someone at his heels（脚后跟）. He turned round and there stood a man in a large overcoat. A hat pulled down over his eyes and very little of his face could be seen. Frank said something about the weather, trying to sound friendly and calm. The man did not answer but asked rudely where Oakfield House was. Frank pointed to a big house in the distance and the stranger continued his way.

　　Then Frank wondered why the stranger had wanted to find Oakfield House at such an hour.

　　He knew that the people who lived there were very rich. Almost without realizing what he was doing, he began following the stranger quickly. Then the man was soon outside the house and Frank saw him look up at the window. A light was still on and the man waited until it went out. When about half an hour had passed, Frank saw him climb noiselessly over the wall and heard him drop on the ground at the other side.

　　Now Frank realized what was going to happen. He walked quickly and silently across the street towards a telephone box on the comer.

(1) Frank was feeling shame at _________.

[　　]

A．having walked so quickly

B．having made a big noise at midnight

C．having been afraid

D．having been so anxious to go home

(2) Frank said something about the weather to the stranger because _____.

[　　]

A．he wanted to know what the weather would be the next day

B．he wanted to start a conversation

C．he was a very friendly person

D．he wanted to hide his nervousness

(3) The man dressed in a large overcoat was _________.

[　　]

A．very friendly

B．not polite at all

C．a visitor to Oakfield House

D．a police officer

(4) What did Frank think was going to happen？

[　　]

A．Someone was going to rob the house.

B．The stranger would get himself hurt.

C．The stranger would spend the night in the Oakfield House.

D．Somebody was going to make a telephone call.

 

“I grew up on Jackson’s music and I still have all his stuff on My iPod. I think that Michael Jackson will go down in history as one of our greatest entertainers. His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways，sad personal life.”

Michael Jackson was a singer，songwriter，dancer and celebrity icon with a vast catalog of hit records and countless awards to his credit. Beyond that，he had transfixed the world like few entertainers before or since. As a solo performer，he had enjoyed a level of superstardom previously known   ——Barack Obama

only to Elvis Presley，the Beatles and  Frank Sinatra.

Michael Jackson was unquestionably the biggest pop star of the 80s’，and certainly one of the most popular recording artists of all time.

Michael Joseph Jackson was born on August 29,1958.The fifth and youngest son of steelworker Joe Jackson，Michael displayed a talent for music and dance from an extremely young age. His father began to organize a family musical group around his three eldest sons in 1962，and Michael joined them the following year，quickly establishing himself as a dynamic stage performer. Dubbed the Jackson 5，the group signed to Motown in 1968 and issued their debut single in October 1969，when Michael was just 11 years old. I Want You Back，ABC，The Love You Save and I’ll Be There all hit number one in 1970，making the Jackson 5 the first group in pop history to have their first four singles top the charts. Later in 1972，Jackson had his first number one solo single，Ben. In 1977，he met producer/composer Quincy Jones for the first time. With Jones producing，Jackson recorded his first solo album as an adult，Off the Wall.

Released（发行） in 1982，the Quincy Jones produced Thriller refined the strengths of Off the Wall：the dance and rock tracks were more driving，the pop tunes and ballads softer and more soulful，and all of it was recognizably Michael. There was no surprise that Thriller was a hit；what was a surprise was its staying power .Jackson’s duet with McCartney，The Girl Is Mine，was a natural single choice，and it peaked at number two；then Billie Jean and the Van Halen track Beat It both hit number one，for seven and three weeks respectively.

Michael Jackson died from heart disease on June 25 at age 50.

1.What does Barack Obama mean by saying “His brilliance as a performance also was paired with a tragic and in many ways，sad personal life”？

A．Michael Joseph Jackson was a success in his career as well as in life.

B．Michael Joseph Jackson was a success in his career.

C．Michael Joseph Jackson led a happy life.

D．Michael Joseph Jackson gained a lot in his career，but he also suffered a lot in his life.

2.According to the passage，which of the following is NOT true?

A．Barack Obama likes Michael Jackson’s song very much.

B．Barack Obama and Michael Jackson are good friends.

C．Michael is good at music as well as at dance.

D．Michael Jackson had his first number one solo single when he was 14 years old.

3.Choose the right time order of the following events.

a．Barack Obama，President of the US，assessed the whole life of Michael Jackson.

b．The family musical group signed to Motown.

c．Michael joined the family musical group.

d．His father began to organize a family musical group.

e．Thriller became a hit.

A．a－c－e－b－d  　　  B．d－c－b－e－a

C．b－e－a－c－d  　　  D．d－e－b－c－a

4.What does the first paragraph mainly tell us?

A．Michael Jackson’s job.  　　B．How Michael Jackson performed.

C．Michael Jackson’s great achievements.  D．Michael Jackson’s life.

 

Carmen’s mother Maria had just survived a serious heart attack. But without a heart transplant(移植)her life was in constant 　36 .

Both the mother and daughter knew that the 　37 were very small: finding a donor（捐赠人）heart that 　38 Maria’s blood type could take years. However, Carmen was 　39 to save her mother. She kept 　40 hospitals all over the country.

Days stretched out. By Christmas, Maria had trouble 　41 from one end of the room to the other. Carmen lost all hope. She fell into a 　42 　 of the hospital, crying.

“Are you okay?” a man asked.

Carmen sobbed as she told the 　43 her story. This middle-aged man was named Frank, 　44 wife, Cheryl, a tender and devoted mother of four lovely children, had been in hospital with a brain disease and wouldn’t 　45 it through the night. Suddenly, an idea came to Frank’s mind. He knew Cheryl had always wanted to 　46 something from herself. Could her 　47 go to Carmen’s mother?

After reviewing the data, doctors 　48　 Frank that his wife’s heart was by some miracle a perfect fit for Carmen’s mother. They were able to 　49　 the transplant.

That cold night, when Cheryl was 　50　 dead, Frank came to knock at Maria’s door. She was 51 for Frank’s family as she had been doing every day recently. 　52 Maria had never met Frank before, they both felt a strange bond（凝聚力）as they hugged and cried.

On New Year’s Eve, Carmen attended Cheryl’s 　53　 Cheryl’s funeral（葬礼）with Frank’s family, who were singing their favorite song “My heart will go on.”

One day later, on New Year’s Day, Maria 　54 　 with Cheryl’s heart. Yes, Cheryl’s loving heart would go on, for it was 　55 in another loving mother’s chest.

36. A. change　　 　　　　　　 B. danger　　　　 　　 C. disorder　 　　　　　　　　　　 D. pain

37. A. chances　 　　　　 B. challenges　　　　 C. effects　　　　　 D. waves

38. A. matched　 　　　 B. replaced　　　 　　　 C. controlled　　 　　 D. cooperated

39. A. arranged　 　　　 B. decided　　　　 　 C. determined　　　 D. attempted

40. A. finding 　　　　　 B. phoning　 　　　　　　 C. touring　 　　　　　　　 D. interrupting

41. A. rolling　 　　　　 B. running　 　　　　　　　 C. walking　 　　　　　　 D. jumping

42. A. corner　 　　　　　 B. bed　　 　　　　　　　　 C. man　　 　　　　　　　 D. nurse

43. A. neighbor　　 　 B. stranger　　　　　　　　　 C. friend　　　　　　 D. candidate

44. A. who　　　　　 B. which　　　　　　 C. whom　　　　　 　　　 D. whose

45. A. put　 　　　　　　　 B. support　 　　　　　　　 C. pass　 　　　　　　　　 D. make

46. A. save　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. recycle　 　　　　　　　 C. donate（捐赠）　 D. separate

47. A. heart　 　　　　　　 B. brain　 　　　　　　　　 C. husband　 　　　　　　 D. spirit

48. A. informed　 　　　 B. warned　 　　　　　　 C. congratulated　 　　　 D. reminded

49. A. give up　 　　　　 B. carry out　 　　　　　 C. search after　 　　　　 D. put off

50. A. noticed　 　　　　 B. predicted　 　　　　　　 C. found　 　　　　　　　 D. declared

51. A. praying　　　 B. begging　　　　　 C. decorating　　　 　 D. singing

52. A. But　　　　 　 B. And　　　　　　 C. Though　　　　 　 D. If

53. A. attended　 　　　 B. tended　 　　　　　　　　 C. joined 　　　　　　　　　　 D. rejected

54. A. passed away 　　 B. woke up 　　　　　　　 C. left behind　 　　　　　 D. dressed up

55. A. active　　　　 B. alive　　　　　　 C. necessary　 　　　　 D. changeable