Beethoven, a famous musician in the world, was born in Germany in 1770.
In his childhood Beethoven didn’t have a happy life. His father was a singer. When he was only four, his father began to make him practise hour after hour on different musical instruments. If he did not put his heart into it, his father would beat him or make it hard on him.
Beethoven loved music and he learned so fast that he was able to go around to give concerts, when he was only a boy of eleven. At the age of seventeen, he won high praise from Mozart, the great musician at that time.
Beethoven was often poor and ill during his life. After one illness, he suddenly found himself deaf．At that time he was only thirty-one. It was a blow（打击）to him indeed.
But he still went on working and writing music pieces. To people’s surprise, some of his best pieces were written after he lost his hearing.
In 1827, leaving more than 300 pieces, the great musician died. But his name is still remembered to this day.
1.Why didn’t Beethoven have a happy life in his childhood?
A. Because his family was poor.
B. Because he had to practice a lot of musical instruments.
C. Because his father was strict with him.
D. Both B and C.
2.When were some of his best pieces written?
A. At the age of 11. B. At the age of 17.
C. Before he was deaf. D. After he became deaf.
3.What did Beethoven do after he lost his hearing?
A. He never gave in .
B. He stopped writing music pieces.
C. He lost his heart.
D. He went to see a doctor.
4.How many pieces did the musician write during his life?
A. 200. B. 300. C. 400. D. 100.
5. Beethoven didn’t like music as a child, did he?
A. Yes, he did. B. No, he didn’t.
C. Yes, he didn’t. D. No, he did.
Dear Boris,
Thanks for your nice letter.
After I had spent a week with my English family, I slowly began to understand their English a little better. It’s very different from what I learned at school! Students in my group are from different cities of Britain and their dialects (方言) are different too! Some of their accents (口音) are quite strong and they also have their own words and expressions.
But it’s not the language that’s different and surprising. Before I came to England I had thought that fish and chips were eaten every day. That’s quite wrong! I get rather mad now when I hear all the foolish words about typical (典型的) English food.
I had expected to see “London fog”. Do you remember our texts about it? We had no idea that most of this ‘thick fog’ disappeared many years ago when people stopped using coal in their homes. But the idea to speak about the weather was very helpful. The weather in London is really changeable.
On the other hand habits are different. People tell me what is typically British here in London is not always typical in Wales or Scotland. Local habits and traditions are not the same as what we knew.
But what is ordinary for all British is that they follow traditions. Probably Britain has more living signs of its past than many other countries. And people have always been proud of having ancient buildings in capitals, big cities and the countryside.
I will tell you more about Britain in my other letters.
Love from Britain,
Peter
1.What does Pete feel about the English language?
A. At first it was difficult for him to understand people.
B. He can understand different dialects and accents.
C. He can speak English better than others.
D. People can’t understand his English.
2.Typical English food _______.
A. makes people mad B. can’t be seen now
C. is always fish and chips D. is not what he knew
3.The British people like to talk about weather because ________.
A. there is thick fog in London
B. they like the weather in Britain
C. the weather changes a lot
D. it can be helpful
4.What do you know about habits in Britain from the passage?
A. They are not the same in different parts of Britain.
B. Habits in Wales and Scotland are typically British.
C. There are no typical British habits in Britain.
D. All that is typically British is in London.
5. Which is NOT true according to the passage?
A. What he’s seen is quite different from what he’d learned
B. British people like to follow traditions.
C. Peter had learned about Britain before.
D. Peter doesn’t like his life in Britain.
______ fine weather it is today!
A. What a B. How a C. What D. How
—Look! The lights in the classroom are still on.
—Oh, I forgot ________.
A. turning them off B. turn them off
C. to turn them off D. having turned them off
She found ___ hard to finish the work by herself.
A. that B. it’s C. it D. this
Good learners aren’t afraid _______mistakes. Instead, they learn ________mistakes.
A. of making, from B. of make, from
C. to make, in D. to making, in
