Violin prodigies (神童), I learned, have come in distinct waves from distinct regions. Most of the great performers of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were born and brought up in Russia and Eastern Europe. I asked Isaac Stern, one of the world’s greatest violinists the reason for this phenomenon. “It is very clear,” he told me. “They were all Jews and Jews at the time were severely oppressed and ill-treated in that part of the world. They were not allowed into the professional fields, but they were allowed to achieve excellence on a concert stage.” As a result, every Jewish parent’s dream was to have a child in the music school because it was a passport to the West.
Another element in the emergence of prodigies, I found, is a society that values excellence in a certain field to nurture (培育) talent. Nowadays, the most nurturing societies seem to be in the Far East. “In Japan, a most competitive society, with stronger discipline than ours,” says Isaac Stern, children are ready to test their limits every day in many fields, including music. When Western music came to Japan after World War II, that music not only became part of their daily lives, but it became a discipline as well. The Koreans and Chinese as we know are just as highly motivated as the Japanese.
That’s a good thing, because even prodigies must work hard. Next to hard work, biological inheritance（遗传） plays an important role in the making of a prodigy. J. S. Bach, for example, was the top of several generations of musicians, and four of his sons had significant careers in music.
1.Jewish parents in Eastern Europe longed for their children to attend music school because ________.
A. it would enable the family to get better treatment in their own country
B. Jewish children are born with excellent musical talent
C. they wanted their children to enter into the professional field
D. it would allow them access to a better life in the West
2.Which of the following contributes to the emergence of musical prodigies according to the passage?
A. extensive knowledge of music.
B. a natural gift.
C. very early training.
D. a prejudice-free society.
3.Which of the following titles best summarizes the main idea of the passage?
A. The Making of Music Prodigies
B. Training of Musicians in the World
C. Music and Society
D. Jewish Contribution to Music
Can dogs and cats live in perfect harmony in the same home? People who are thinking about adopting a dog as a friend for their cats are worried that they will fight. A recent research has found a new recipe of success. According to the study, if the cat is adopted before the dog, and if they are introduced when still young (less than 6 months for cats, a year for dogs), it is highly probable that the two pets will get along swimmingly. Two-thirds of the homes interviewed reported a positive relationship between their cat and dog.
However, it wasn't all sweetness and light. There was a reported coldness between the cat and dog in 25% of the homes, while aggression and fighting were observed in 10% of the homes. One reason for this is probably that some of their body signals were just opposite. For example, when a cat turns its head away it signals aggression, while a dog doing the same signals submission.
In homes with cats and dogs living peacefully, researchers observed a surprising behavior. They are learning how to talk each other's language. It is a surprise that cats can learn how to talk ‘dog’ and dogs can learn how to talk ‘Cat’.
What's interesting is that both cats and dogs have appeared to develop their intelligence. They can learn how to read each other's body signals, suggesting that the two may have more in common than we previously suspected. Once familiar with each other's presence and body language, cats and dogs can play together, greet each other nose to nose, and enjoy sleeping together on the sofa. They can easily share the same water bowl and in some cases groom (梳理) each other.
The significance of the research on cats and dogs may go beyond pets ─ to people who don't get along, including neighbors, colleagues at work, and even world superpowers. If cats and dogs can learn to get along, surely people have a good chance.
1.Some cats and dogs may fight when ________.
A. they misunderstood each other's signals
B. they look away from each other
C. they are cold to each other
D. they are introduced at an early age
2.What is found surprising about cats and dogs?
A. They eat and sleep each other.
B. They learn to speak each other's language.
C. They observe each other's behaviors.
D. They know something from each other's voices.
3.It is suggested in Paragraph 4 that cats and dogs ________.
A. have common interests
B. have a common body language
C. are less different than was thought
D. are less intelligent than was expected
4.What can we human beings learn from cats and dogs?
A. We should live in peace with animals.
B. We should know more about animals.
C. We should learn to live in harmony.
D. We should learn more body languages.
Here’s an unusual story: a diamond ring was recently found in an egg. The magician, Liu Qian, discovered it in front of an audience of millions at CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala. Liu’s magic tricks have made the centuries – old art of magic fashionable once again, and made him the hottest magician in China.
As a seasoned magician from Taiwan, Liu is popular worldwide for his magic shows. Countries he has performed in include the United States, Japan, South Korea and the UK. Witnessing something impossible happen right before your eyes is the root of people’s love for magic.
Liu is known for his interaction with his audiences. He has a unique understanding of showmanship(演出技巧)。“It’s actually thinking rather than one’s manipulation (处理) skills that is more important to achieving a successful magic show. We think carefully about how to design the shows creatively, to make them appear more interesting,” Liu said.
Liu Qian’s success dated back to his childhood. Born in 1976 in Taiwan, he found himself attracted to a magic toy in a shop when he was seven years old. At the age of 12, he won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest, which was judged by the great American magician, David Copperfield.
Yet, Liu never planned on becoming a professional magician. He studied Japanese literature at university and only hoped to be an amateur magician in his spare time. However, his failure to find a proper job after graduation pushed him towards magic as a career.
To refine his performing skills, he has performed on streets, roads and fields, for passersby, policemen and farmers.
“Street shows are the biggest challenge for us magicians. We have to deal with unexpected situations and tough crowds,” Liu said.
1.The story is about ________.
A. why people love magic
B. how Liu Qian became China’s hottest magician
C. how fashionable magic is
D. what magic tricks are
2.People love to watch magic because ________.
A. they love watching magicians make the impossible happen
B. it arouses their curiosity
C. they can’t figure out the secret of magic
D. it is a centuries – old art
3.Which of the following is the key reason that Liu Qian decided to make magic his career?
A. He was interested in magic when he was little.
B. He had won Taiwan’s Youth Magic Contest.
C. He couldn’t find an acceptable job after graduation.
D. He became an amateur magician in his spare time.
4. What does the underlined word “seasoned” in Paragraph2 mean?
A. experienced
B. freshman
C. amateur
D. unskillful
5.From the story we know that______.
A. Liu Qian competed in many magic competitions.
B. Liu Qian often invites audiences to be in his magic show.
C. Liu Qian does street show to make money.
D. Liu Qian performs on the streets in order to increase his fame.
假设你是学生会主席李华，学生会打算招募一位校报英文版的编辑，请你用英文以 “An English Editor Wanted”为题目写一则招聘启事。内容要点如下：
1、要求：英文与美术皆好；能熟练使用电脑；
2、工作内容：选择与编辑同学们的英文来稿；
3、有意者请在下周五前与学生会联系。
注意：1．词数100左右
2．不要逐字翻译，可适当发挥。
假定英语课上老师要求同桌之间交换修改作文，请你修改你同桌写的以下作文。文中共有10处语言错误，每句中最多有两处。每处错误仅涉及一个单词的增加、删除或修改。
增加：在缺词处加一个漏字符号(^)，并在其下面写出该加的词。
删除：把多余的词用斜线(＼)划掉。
修改：在错的词下划一横线，并在该词下面写出修改后的词。
注意：1．每处错误及其修改均仅限一词；
2．只允许修改10处，多者（从第11处起）不计分。
Last weekend we went mountain-climbing.
Even the heavy rain can not stop us.
We set off early and went along an extreme narrow road, all in high spirit.
On either side of the road was green fields.
We could hear the sound of the rain mixing with our laughter.
At noon we reached to the top of the mountain, there we were amazed by the beauty of the scenes.
After short rest, we started going down
It rained more harder.
We were wet all over, and we still felt happy.
Over the years I've been teaching kids about a simple but powerful concept – the ant philosophy（哲学）, an1. (amaze)four-part philosophy.
First, ants never quit. If they're heading somewhere and you try to stop them, they'll climb over. they'll climb under, or they'll climb around They never quit2. (look) for a way to get where they3. (suppose) to go! Second, ants think about winter and summer. They are always gathering in their winter food in the middle of summer and they are making4._ . (prepare) for the long cold winter. So you have to think about storms in summer; think about rocks5. _ _ you enjoy the sand and sun Third, ants think about summer all winter. During the winter, they remind 6. , "This won't last long and we'll soon be out of here. " On 7._ first warm day, the ants are out. If it8. _ (turn) cold again, they'll dive back down. But they come out again if it is warm Last, how much will an ant gather during the summer to prepare for the winter? All that it9. (possible) can. 10. you can learn from the ant philosophy is: Never give up, look ahead, stay positive and do all you can
