There will be a week of training with real opera singers who would teach us about opera and how to sing, as well as making costumes and props（服装道具）. When I arrived on the first day we started learning one of our songs. It would be the opening song of the show. Later that day we could audition for a part in the story.

Over the next few days we started making our props and costume with the special designers. The prop making was fun but was VERY sticky! When everything was made we started to rehearse（排演） with our masks. We were put into two singing groups, Aslant’ s army and the Queen’s army.

There were four teachers with us during the week who helped us to learn about opera. They told us lots of interesting things, including how important your muscles are when you are singing and all about breathing properly. I loved the sound of different voices used in opera. 

In the evening, we performed in front of a large crowd outside the forum in Norwich（挪利其广场）which made me feel a bit nervous—but I got over my nerves and I really enjoyed it. I think everybody did very well, especially the people who had to sing solos（独唱）.

On the last song of performance（演出）, everyone was really strong and did his best and I think everyone had a great time.

The opera boot-camp was a great week for me. It was so much fun and I really hope that Opera Brava comes back again.

  1. We can learn from the passage that the training lasted for        . 

     A. two days             B. four days           C. seven days          D. ten days

  2. What did they do on the first day of the camp? 

     A. They made costumes and props.          B. They learned one of their songs.

     C. They rehearsed with their masks          D. They were taught how to sing

  3. What did the writer think of the performance?

     A. It was nervous.                                  B. It was important.

     C. It was difficult.                                  D. It was a success.

  4. The passage is mainly about          . 

     A. an opera boot-camp                            B. an opera show

     C. an interesting song                             D. opera

Though the ways of teaching have come a long way, the ways of communicating between teachers and students are almost the same. But now, a European country is trying to change that by building schools that have no classrooms, no subject lessons and best of all, no grades.

The idea behind the special school is that children are creative. And researchers also think that kids’ learning and ideas are as important as those of the CEO of Google, so why not give them a similar environment? Kids may be successful in such an environment.

To make kids more creative, the schools are built with special learning areas instead of traditional classrooms. And even the lessons are taught in a special way, with mobile phones and computers.

There is no “right” or “wrong” kind of education. The school believes that everything is a learning experience, whether it is about a serious science project or making a movie inside the school’s recording studio.

One of the special schools opened in August, 2011. It has five learning areas. The Cave is a secluded place where students fix their attention on individual (个人的) projects without being bothered (打扰). The Lab is a place where students can do all kinds of experiments and test their ideas. Kids can work in groups in the same projects in The Camp Fire. The Show Off is where kids can show their inventions. And if the kids need a rest, they can visit The Watering Hole, which has all kinds of fun activities.

Sounds great? And the coolest thing is that the school is free! I hope more schools like this will appear in the world!

1.What is the idea behind the special school?

A. The children are creative.

B. All the students need to be taught.

C. All the students must be successful.

D. All the students must have high grades.

2.From the passage we can infer (推断) that ?????? in the special schools.

A. students are bored???????????????? B. students are tired

C. students learn freely?????????????? D. students learn from their teachers

3.“The Cave is a secluded place ….” The word “secluded” probably means “??? ” in Chinese.

A. 清静的?????? ????????????? B. 固定的?????? ????????????? C. 吵闹的?????? ????????????? D. 混合的

4.Paragraph 5 mainly tells us that ????? .??????????????

A. the school doesn’t have grades

B. the school has clever students

C. the school has five learning areas

D. the school doesn’t have classrooms

Though the ways of teaching have come a long way, the ways of communicating between teachers and students are almost the same. But now, a European country is trying to change that by building schools that have no classrooms, no subject lessons and best of all, no grades.
The idea behind the special school is that children are creative. And researchers also think that kids’ learning and ideas are as important as those of the CEO of Google, so why not give them a similar environment? Kids may be successful in such an environment.
To make kids more creative, the schools are built with special learning areas instead of traditional classrooms. And even the lessons are taught in a special way, with mobile phones and computers.
There is no “right” or “wrong” kind of education. The school believes that everything is a learning experience, whether it is about a serious science project or making a movie inside the school’s recording studio.
One of the special schools opened in August, 2011. It has five learning areas. The Cave is a secluded place where students fix their attention on individual (个人的) projects without being bothered (打扰). The Lab is a place where students can do all kinds of experiments and test their ideas. Kids can work in groups in the same projects in The Camp Fire. The Show Off is where kids can show their inventions. And if the kids need a rest, they can visit The Watering Hole, which has all kinds of fun activities.
Sounds great? And the coolest thing is that the school is free! I hope more schools like this will appear in the world!
【小题1】What is the idea behind the special school?