Once you’ve tasted the joy and freedom of an all-access backstage pass, sitting in the balcony（楼厅） far from the stage has little attraction. In March of 2008, I had the opportunity to tour with a band. The experience was eye-opening.
I hadn’t realized how many misconceptions I had about the lifestyle of a world-class musician. Such a life is not as great as it appears. In fact, some aspects are extremely tedious. Hours and hours are spent waiting. The musicians wait for their transportation; they wait for the sound check; they wait to perform. After the show, they wait for the crowds of fans to go away.
When the musicians are not waiting, they are traveling. Sometimes the travel itself can seem attractive and exciting, with the limousines（豪华轿车） and the first-class seats on the plane. However, even these luxuries cannot make up for long, boring hours on the road or in the air. Basic needs are all but ignored. Late-night shows and early wake-up calls make them know the preciousness of sleep. The demanding travel itineraries（行程） and show schedules make regular meals impossible.
In spite of the sacrifices, life on tour has its advantage, at least for the talent. A support team generally travels with the band, with at least one person dedicated to meeting the musicians’ needs at all times. The musicians are expected to perform at the shows, but they are not expected to manage any detail of their lives. When I was with the band, I poured glasses of grapefruit juice, made sandwiches, prepared dressing rooms, and performed all kinds of routine work, such as buying toothpaste and getting money from the ATM. In addition, efforts are made by promoters to keep the musicians happy. Most places offer private dressing rooms for the musicians. There is also usually a green room, a room that is large with comfortable furnishings where the band can visit with friends and family while waiting to go on stage. Before the band goes on, their families and friends file out into the auditorium and find their seats. The house lights go dark and curtain rises. When the lights flash on and the band starts playing, the scene is magical. A behind-the-scenes view makes the experience even more spectacular.
1.The underlined world in paragraph 2 probably means _____.
A．exciting B．boring C．reasonable D．ridiculous
2.We can infer from the third paragraph that _____.
A．good arrangements always make the trips comfortable and pleasant
B．most musicians would rather travel long distance than wait
C．most musicians ignore their basic needs because the travel is too luxurious
D．the lack of sleep and irregular meals seem to be a part of the life of musicians
3.Which might be the best title for the passage?
A．Behind the Scene. B．Hard Life of Musicians.
C．My Part-time Job. D．How to Make Musicians Happy.
My teenage son Karl became withdraw after his father died. As a single parent, I tried to do my best to talk to him. But the more I tried, the more he pulled away. When his report card arrived during his junior year, it said that he had been absent 95 times from classes and had six falling grades for the year. At this rate he would never graduate. I sent him to the school adviser, and I even begged him. Nothing worked.
One night I felt so powerless that I got down on my knees and pleaded for help. “Please God, I can’t do anything more for my son. I’m at the end of my rope. I’m giving the whole thing up to you.”
I was at work when I got a phone call. A man introduced himself as the headmaster. “I want to talk to you about Karl’s absences.” Before he could say another word, I choked up and all my disappointment and sadness over Karl came pouring out into the ears of this stranger. “I love my son but I just don’t know what to do. I’ve tried everything to get Karl to go back to school and nothing has worked. It’s out of my hands.” For a moment there was silence on the other end of the line. The headmaster seriously said, “thank you for your time”, and hung up.
Karl’s next report card showed a marked improvement in his grades. Finally, he even made the honor roll. In his fourth year, I attended a parent-teacher meeting with Karl. I noticed that his teachers were astonished at the way he had turned himself around. On our way home, he said, “Mum, remember that call from the headmaster last year?” I nodded. “That was I. I thought I’d play a joke but when I heard what you said, it really hit me how much I was hurting you. That’s when I knew I had to make you proud.”
1.By saying “Karl became withdrawn”, the author means that the boy changed entirely and _____.
A．preferred to stay alone at home B．often escaped school
C．refused to talk to others D．began to dislike his mother
2.There was silence on the other end of the line because _____.
A．the speaker was too moved to say anything to the mother
B．the speaker waited for the mother to finish speaking
C．the speaker didn’t want the mother to recognize his voice
D．the speaker was unable to interrupt the mother
3.What is the main idea of this passage?
A．Children in single-parent families often have mental problems.
B．Mother’s love plays an important role in teenagers’ life.
C．Being understood by parents is very important to teenagers.
D．School education doesn’t work without full support from parents.
A true apology is more than just acknowledgement of a mistake. It’s recognition that something you’ve said or done has damaged a relationship—and that you care enough about that relationship to want it __46__ .
It’s never __47__ to acknowledge you are in the wrong. Being human, we all need the art of apology. Look back and think how __48__ you’ve judged roughly, said __49__ things, pushed yurself ahead at the expense of a friend. Some deep thought lets us know that when __50__ a small mistake has been made, your __51__ will stay out of balance until the mistake is acknowledged and your regret is __52__.
I remember a doctor friend, telling me about a man who came to him with __53__ illnesses: headache, insomnia, stomachaches and so on. No physical __54__ could be found. Finally the doctor said to the man, “__55__ you tell me what’s on your conscience, I can’t help you.”
After a short silence, the man told the doctor that he __56__ all the money that his father gave to his brother, who was __57__. His father had died, so only he himself knew the matter. The doctor made the man write to his brother making an __58__ and enclosing a __59__. In the post office, the man dropped the letter into the mail box. As the letter disappeared, the man burst into tears. “Thank you, doctor,” he said, “I think I’m all right now.” And he __60__.
1. A．built B．formed C．repaired D．damaged
2. A．difficult B．easy C．foolish D．shy
3. A．long B．often C．much D．soon
4. A．unusual B．harmful C．worthless D．unkind
5. A．hardly B．even C．only D．such
6. A．sense B．brain C．weight D．feeling
7. A．apologized B．explained C．offered D．expressed
8. A．strange B．fatal C．various D．dangerous
9. A．sign B．injury C．cause D．symptom
10. A．Whenever B．Unless C．Suppose D．Although
11. A．neglected B．accepted C．seized D．wasted
12. A．mad B．lost C．abroad D．dead
13. A．order B．excuse C．agreement D．apology
14. A．note B．card C．check D．photo
15. A．should B．did C．had D．was
A. turn B. eagerly C. concerned D. anxiously E. growing F. changed G. produced H. international I. popular J. called
There have been a lot of changes in American eating habits in the last ten years. One is the __1.__ awareness of the nutritional value of food. Another is an increasing interest in a variety of __2.__ foods. Since about 1970, Americans have been more and more __3.__ about health. They have begun to notice the ingredients（配料） in what they eat.
When they select food in the supermarket, they __4.__ the package over to read the labels carefully. They prefer to eat food that is __5.__ without unnecessary chemicals and often choose fruits and vegetables grown without poisons used to kill insects. A small group of Americans, __6.__ vegetarians, has decided not to eat meat. They choose a complete diet from other kinds of food because they think that meat products are not good for health.
Also more and more Americans have become interested in food from other countries. They have been going out to international restaurants and __7.__ trying unfamiliar dishes. Chinese, Japanese, French, Italian, and Greek cooking as well as many other recipes（食谱） are all __8.__ these days in the United States. People used to say that Americans ate uninteresting, unhealthy food, but this has __9.__ in the last ten years.
The workers were so tired that they fell asleep where they ______without undressing.
A．lying B．were lying C．lied D．were lain
The foreign guests liked the children and their shows ________they saw in the kindergarten.
A．what B．who C．which D．that
