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

完形填空（共12分，每小题1分）
阅读下面的短文，掌握其大意，然后从短文后各题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选择最佳选项。
When I was in the third grade, I was picked to be the princess in the school play.
For weeks my mother had helped me   1  my lines. But once on stage, every word   2   from my head. Then my teacher told me she had written a narrator's (旁白) part for the play, and asked me to change   3  . Though I didn't tell my mother what had happened that day, she  4 my unhappiness  and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the yard.
It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions(蒲公英)popping（炸开）through the grass in bunches, I watched my   5  carelessly bend down by one of the bunches. “I think I am going to dig up all these weeds(杂草),” she said. “From now on, we’ll have   6 roses in this garden.”
“But I like dandelions,”I said.“All flowers are   7  —even dandelions!”
My mother looked at me seriously. “Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn’t it?”she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. “And that is   8  of people, too,”she added.
When I   9  that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the truth.
　“  10   you will be a beautiful narrator,” she said, reminding me of how much I loved to read stories aloud to her.
Over the next few weeks, with her continuous   11  , I learned to take pride in the role. The big day finally came. A few minutes before the play, my teacher came over to me. “Your mother asked me to give  12  to you,” she said, handing me a dandelion. After the play, I took the flower home, laughing that I was perhaps the only person who would keep such a weed.

When I was in the third grade, I was chosen to be the princess in the school play. For “weeks my mother had helped me practise my lines. But once on the stage, every word    11  from my head. Then my teacher asked me to change my role to be a narrator (解说者) for the play.    12  I didn’t tell my mother what had happened that day, she noticed my    13  and asked if I wanted to take a walk in the garden.
It was a lovely spring day. We could see dandelions (蒲公英) popping (炸开)   14   the grass in bunches (束). I watched my mother bend down by one of the bunches. “I think I’ll dig up (挖光) all these weeds (野草),” she said. “From now on, we’ll   15  have roses in this garden.”
“But I like dandelions,” I protested(抗议). “All flowers are   16 —even dandelions !”
My mother looked at me seriously. “Yes, every flower gives pleasure in its own way, doesn’t it?” she asked thoughtfully. I nodded. “And that is   17  of people, too,” she added.
When I   18  that she had guessed my pain, I started to cry and told her the truth. “But you will be a wonderful narrator,” she said,    19  me of how much I loved to read stories’ aloud.
Thanks to my mother’s encouragement, I got to know everybody had his or her own    20  in the world. I felt proud of the role in the play.

Do you have a mobile phone? Do you often send text messages（短信） to your friends or family? If you keep sending text messages over and over again, there may be something wrong with your fingers.  【小题1】 If you don’t, you may get injured one day.
Text messaging or texting is becoming popular. But scientists have found out that texting can give us problems with fingers. Too much texting can make your fingers uncomfortable. When we press small buttons over and over again, we may have a disease called RSI. RSI is short for Repetitive Strain Injury (重复性力损伤).
Harriet Wilson is a doctor. She has many patients with RSI.  【小题2】  If we spend more than 10 to 15 minutes every day, we could have such problems in the future.
Mobile phones are getting smaller and smaller.    【小题3】   Texting with a smaller phone is worse than using a larger phone with bigger buttons.    【小题4】  .
If you use a computer keyboard and play video games for long, you may have the same problem. More and more people can find themselves with RSI.