In his lowest days when few people bought his records, Taiwan singer Steve Chou lived alone in Canada and did little. One day, he passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
“My heart tells me that music is the thing I truly want to do, not for fame or money,” Chou said. That’s how we luckily have such a music genius, who has since then composed lots of hits for the pop music charts (排行榜).
“Sometimes we need to get close to nature to look deeply into our souls and see what we really want to follow,” he said.
Recently he has made public his latest work Lovers Genesis. In this album he explores human relationships in the Internet age.“Technology itself is a good thing, but it depends on how you’re going to use it,”is Chou’s advice to teenagers.
Chou often gets his music ideas from trips. He has traveled to many places around the world and believes that learning a country’s language is the fastest way of experiencing the culture behind it.
Chou has worked hard on learning English to push forward his music career. He has flown to the UK to attend months-long English training schools three times. There he lives with local families and practices daily conversations.
“So I could easily read the English instructions on recording machines and communicate with the local music producers,” said Chou, “The music reviews of the US or British singers that I appreciate could help me learn and grow with them.”
1.Which of the following about Steve Chou is the correct order?
a. He made public his work Lovers Genesis.
b. He passed by a local CD store and heard a song that greatly attracted him.
c. He composed lots of hits for the pop music charts.
d. Few people bought his records.
A.abcd B.dbca C.acbd D.dacb
2.Why has Chou flown to the UK to learn English?
A.Because he wants to live in the UK.
B.Because his record company asks him to.
C.Because he wants to sell his album in the UK.
D.Because he thinks it will be helpful for his music career.
3.Steve Chou may agree with the following except that __________.
A.taking trips gives him some ideas of music
B.what we really want to follow is the most important
C.music is a thing that can bring him fame and money
D.in International age, technology itself is not a bad thing
4.What is Steve Chou like according to the passage?
A.Kind and helpful. B.Proud and confident.
C.Active and hard-working. D.Calm and disappointed.
Why do parents have such a difficult time to communicate openly and honestly with their teens? For this, there are many reasons but most of them stem from not being able to properly understand their teens. It is a dangerous gap because parents will have to communicate with their teens about a wide variety of issues during the most important years of their lives. Thus, parents must know how to communicate openly and honestly with their teens.
Here are a few tips to make communication easier between parents and teenagers.
1. Try not to talk down to your teens. Make them feel as if their views really matter, which not only helps your discussions with your teen but bring you closer to him.
2. Imagine what it would be like to be a teen. Try to remember some of the negative feelings you experienced as a teenager and apply it to your teen's situation.
3. Never make negative remarks to your teen about what she has said or done.
4. Remember how much courage it would have taken for your teen to come and talk to you about his personal issues. So listen respectfully.
5. Don't ignore your teen's feelings because it is usually a cry for help. For instance, if your teen is unusually angry, it may be time to spend a bit of quality time with your teen to determine what is wrong and where he is coming from.
It is, therefore, necessary for parents to strive to keep lines of communication open at all times with their teens. Try to remember what it was like to be a teenager and how vulnerable(脆弱的)you felt. Then you will be well on your way to help your teen communicate more openly and honestly.
1.Why don't teens want to talk about their personal issues with their parents?
A.Because they can't respect their parents.
B.Because they can't understand their parents.
C.Because their parents won't understand them well.
D.Because their parents are not honest.
2.When your son comes to you for help, you should NOT _____.
A.listen respectively B.treat him seriously
C.care about his feeling D.make negative remarks
3.Which of the following has the similar meaning to the underlined phrase “talk down to”?
A.put down B.look down upon C.chat with D.quarrel with
4.The best title for this passage is _____.
A.Causes of generation gap
B.Relations between teens and parents
C.Suggestions for parents-children effective communication
D.Problems with communication between teens and parents
Four brothers left home for college, and they became successful doctors and lawyers. Some years later, they 16 after having dinner together. They discussed the 17 they gave their elderly mother who lived far away in another city. The first said, “I had a 18 house built for Mama.” The second said, “I had my Mercedes-Benz dealer(经销商)send a 19 to her.” The third said, “I built a beautiful 20 for Mama.” The fourth said, “You know 21 Mama loved reading poems and you know she can’t read anymore because she can’t 22 very well. I met a 23 who had a parrot(鹦鹉)that can recite many poems. It took him 12 years to 24 it to speak and he earns his living by renting it out. I had to pay him $100,000 a year for twenty years, 25 it is worth it.” On hearing that, the other brothers were 26 by his good thought.
After the holidays their mother 27 her thank-you notes, which read:
“Milton, the house you built is so huge. I only live in one room, but I have to 28 the whole house. It’s a tiring job. Thanks anyway.”
“Marvin, I am too old to 29 . I stay home and have my foods delivered, so I’ll 30 use the car. The 31 was good, although not practical. Thanks.”
“Michael, you gave me an expensive building for 50 people to 32 plays or watch movies in it, but all my friends are dead. I’ve almost 33 my hearing and I’m nearly blind. I won’t use it. Thank you all the same.”
“Dearest Melvin, you were the 34 son to have the good sense to give a little thought to your gift. The chicken tasted so 35 . I liked it very much. Thank you.”
1. A.fought B.talked C.studied D.slept
2. A.gifts B.chances C.wishes D.challenges
3. A.warm B.big C.safe D.lonely
4. A.book B.bike C.car D.bag
5. A.station B.museum C.library D.theater
6. A.what B.how C.why D.when
7. A.listen B.feel C.see D.walk
8. A.nurse B.writer C.businessman D.lawyer
9. A.protect B.beat C.raise D.teach
10. A.but B.so C.unless D.although
11. A.treated B.impressed C.threatened D.hurt
12. A.sent out B.put up C.took out D.picked up
13. A.sell B.borrow C.clean D.visit
14. A.learn B.work C.exercise D.travel
15. A.never B.often C.regularly D.sometimes
16. A.future B.hobby C.idea D.program
17. A.create B.enjoy C.bring D.record
18. A.lost B.admired C.remained D.discovered
19. A.same B.last C.next D.only
20. A.strange B.unpleasant C.bitter D.delicious
_____ the right kind of training, these teenager soccer players may one day grow the international stars.
A.Giving B.Being given C.To give D.Given
--- Can I help you, sir?
---Yes, please. Do you have any books on cooking?
---There are only a few,______.
A.if any B.if have C.if ever D.if do
Charles Babbage is generally considered ______ the first computer.
A.to invent B.inventing C.to have invented D.having invented