Jack Johnson is one of the most popular singer-songwriters in the world. Jack was born on May 18, 1975 in Hawaii. Being the son of a famous surfer, Jack naturally has an interest in surfing. Most of his life lessons were learned in the water. At the age of 17, Jack entered the finals of the Pineline Masters---the world’s most famous surfing competition. Everyone thought Jack would become a professional surfer like his father. Unluckily, one month later, he had a deadly accident while surfing and was seriously hurt.
Life is like a revolving (旋转) door. When it closes, it also opens. Jack started to practice playing the guitar and write songs when he was staying in hospital. At first, his father thought Jack only did it for fun, but soon he was surprised at the great progress his son had made.
When studying in the university, Jack didn’t stop practicing his guitar skills. He played the guitar for school parties. He wrote songs and sang for his teachers and friends. They liked his songs. His first music album
Brushfire Fairytales came out in 2001. It was a great success. His second album,
On and On, was much like his first one. They were filled with sweet, easy-going songs that everybody liked listening to. Later, Jack had lots of concerts in and out of America. He became popular all over the world.
Jack had five albums by 2010 and more than 15 million copies of them were sold. His music doesn’t fit into any of the popular music styles like pop, rock, R&B or hip-hop. It is more like fold music, played with a guitar and beautiful voice. When listening to his songs, you feel like lying on the beach enjoying the warm sunshine.
Jack is a talent, though he himself says he is only a surfer who loves music. In his songs we can find his secret of success: Whatever happens in our lives, we have to accept it and do the best we can.
【小题1】In 1992, Jack ___________.
| A．had his first music album | B．took part in a surfing competition |
| C．had his first concert | D．become popular all over the world |
【小题2】Jack started to write songs ____________.
| A．while he was staying in hospital |
| B．when he had concerts out of America |
| C．after his second album came out |
| D．after he played the guitar at the school party. |
【小题3】What is the secret of Jack’s success ?
| A．He was born in Hawaii. |
| B．His father was very famous. |
| C．He wrote many songs for his teachers and friends. |
| D．H e always faced difficulties bravely and tried his best. |
【小题4】What’s the best title for the passage ?
| A． A Famous Writer | B．Surfing in the Sea |
| C． A Guitar Player | D．Surfing in the Music |
