“Are you happy?” The simple question usually makes people confused (迷惑的). Even Mo Yan, who won a Nobel Prize, replied to it by saying, “I don’t know.”

When a migrant worker (农民工) was asked, “Are you happy? (Ni Xing Fu Ma?)” by a CCTV reporter, he looked confused before replying, “My family name is Zeng. (Wo Xing Zeng.)” This has become a joke. But his answer showed migrant workers and TV reporters live in different worlds and they cannot even communicate with each other.

Similarly, when asked, “Are you happy?” a 73-year-old man, collecting used plastic bottles in a street in Zhejiang, said, “The bottles can be sold for 0.1 yuan each.” Asked again, he said, “The government is good.” The reporter went on, “My question is ‘Are you happy?’” The old man answered, “My hearing is not good.”

The reporter probably tried to reach the same answer that the interviewees(被采访者) including the migrant worker and the old man are “happy”.

In fact, when the question is asked, we should learn about people’s true situation and their true wishes and opinions but their “Yes” or “No”.

Luckily, the government has paid more attention to the importance. Now there are many TV programs giving common people the chance to give their opinions.

“Everything we do is aimed at letting people live more happily.” At last year’s National People’s Congress (人大), Wen Jiabao said and agreed that increasing happiness would be a top aim for the 12th five-year plan.

1.Ten plastic bottles could be sold for ________ to the 73-year-old.

A．0.1 yuan          B．1 yuan            C．10 yuan           D．20 yuan

2.The government has paid more attention to the importance of ________.

A．learning about people’s true wishes and opinions

B．people’s different replies to “Are you happy?”

C．improving migrant workers’ education

D．keeping the old people’s health

3.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

A．The reporters wanted the people to say “Yes” when asked “Are you happy?”

B．Letting people live more happily is a top aim in the next five years.

C．The reporter asked the old man three different questions.

D．We can call the migrant worker Mr. Zeng.

4.This passage is mainly about ________.

A．the questions                          B．the happiness

C．the popular songs                       D．the education

 

Angela Chang (张韶涵) didn’t know it would be so hard to turn singing into a career (事业). She went to many different record companies. But she was always turned down for looking too young and small.
“I’d never had such difficulties before,” Chang said. But Chang’s talent was finally accepted in 2002. When she got a piece of work, she cried.
She soon became a star. Her first album Over the Rainbow sold very well. She won many awards.
“You wouldn’t believe such a beautiful voice could come from such a small body,” said one musician after hearing Chang sing. “She has a special voice. You can’t forget it.”
But the 25-year-old girl has other talents too. Chang is also an actress. She has played a role in the popular TV plays, My MVP Valentine and At Dolphin Bay. Many people remember her common-girl parts in the plays. But acting is difficult. Chang once acted so badly that she was nearly fired (解雇). Another time it took her 27 tries to get a scene (一场戏) right.
“I cried when I got back home,” Chang said. “But I knew that I wouldn’t always fail. You only fail when you give up.”
Now with four albums behind her - Over the Rainbow, Aurora, Pandora and Flower in the Wonderland, it’s clear that Chang and music were made for each other. As she sings in one song, “I have a pair of invisible wings (隐形的翅膀). They fly me to the skies and give me hope.”
【小题1】The phrase “turned down” in the first paragraph means “______”.

A．承认

B．拒绝

C．开除

D．雇用

【小题2】 Many record companies refused to co-operate (合作) with her because ______.

A．she looks very common	B．she is too young
C．she doesn’t sing very well	D．she looks young and small

【小题3】 Although acting is difficult for her, she never gives up because ______.

A．she is strong-minded	B．people like her films
C．she is interested in acting	D．she acted in the popular TV plays

【小题4】Which do you think is the best title of the passage?

A．The Small Girl.	B．Four Albums.
C．I have a Pair of Invisible Wings.	D．A Poor Actress.

1 

Jack Johnson is one of the most popular singer-song writers in the world.

Jack was born on May 18. 1975 in Hawaii Being the song of a famous surfer. Jack usually has an interest in surfing.Most of his life lessons were learned in the water.At the age of 17, Jack entered the finals of the Pineline Masters—the worlde’s most famous surfing competition.Everyone thought Jack would become a professional surfer like his father.Unluckily .One month later,he had a deadly accident while surfing and was seriously hurt.

Life is like a reaching door.When it closes, it also opens. Jack started to practise playing the guitar and write songs when he was staying in hospital.At first ,his father thought Jack only did it for fun.but soon he was suiprised at the great progress his song had made.

When studying in the university. Jack didn’t stop practising his guitar skills.He played the guitar for school partses.He wrote songs and sang for his teachers and friends.They liked his songs.His first music albam Brushfire Fairytaies came out in 2001.It was a great success.His second album，On and On ，was much like his first.They were filled with sweet，easy-going songs that everybody liked listening to later. Jack had lots of concerts in and out of America.He became popular all over the world.

Jack had five albums by 2010 and more than 15 million copics of them were sold.His music doesn’t fit into any of the popular music styles like pop,rocks R and B or hip-hop.It is more like folk music, played with a guitar and beautiful voice.When listening to his songs,you feel like lying on the beach enjoying the warm sunfine.

Jack is a talent,though he himself says he is only a surfer who loves music. In his songs we can find his secret of success.Whatever happens in our lives,we have to accept it and do the best we can.

1.At the age of 17, Jack__.

A. had his first music album

B. took part in a surfing compentition

C.had his first concert

D.became popular all over the world

2.Jack started to write songs__.

A. while he was staying in hospital 

B.when he had concerts out of America

C. after his seccond album came out

D.after he played the guitar at the school party

3.What is the seccet or Jack’s success?

A.He was born in Hawaii

B. His father was very famous

C. He wrote many songs for his teachers and friends

D. He always faced difficulties bravely and tried his best.

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A. A Famous Writer   B.Surfing in the Sea

C.A Guitar Player     D.Surfing in the Music

 

1 

On July 12th, 2009, at 5 pm, a lot of fans met at People’s Square in Shanghai. They performed Michael Jackson’s unfinished dance. For one minute, they sang and did the moon walk (太空步) to remember Michael Jackson.

This kind of phenomenon (现象) is called “flash mob (快闪族)”. “Flash mob” is a group of people who meet in a public place to perform an activity for a short time. Sometimes all these people are friends, but usually they are strangers (陌生人) and they find each other (彼此) on the Internet.

“Flash mob” is very surprised and strange. One of the popular “flash mob” activities was in Manhattan, New York City: Three hundred people met in a store and each of them told the shop assistant that they would buy the same size sports shoes, and the shop assistant didn’t know what to do.

1.What did a lot of fans do at People’s Square in Shanghai?

___________________________________________________________________________.

2.What is “flash mob”?

___________________________________________________________________________.

3.Are people of “flash mob” usually strangers?

___________________________________________________________________________.

4.Where do people find each other in a short time?

___________________________________________________________________________.

5.What does the writer think of “flash mob”?

___________________________________________________________________________.

 

 I enjoy the popular dance “hip-hop” ,but _____ my father ____  my mother likes it. 

A．both ;and

B．ont only; but also

C．either ;or

D．neither ;nor