Thirty years ago I worked in a company. My job was to sell the cars. I was young and strong and I had been to most parts of the world and I spent one fifth of my time in the trains or planes. I liked such a life and sometimes I called myself “traveler”.

 But one day I got into trouble. It was a cold morning. It blew heavily and the ground was covered with thick snow outside. I was still in bed though it was nine. I finished a long journey the day before and decided to have a good rest. Suddenly the telephone rang and my manager told me to fly to New York to take part in an important meeting. I had to get up and after a quick breakfast. I hurried to the airport. The taxi went slowly and I missed the first flight. I had to take the next one. It meant I would wait for nearly five hours in the waiting-room. But five hours later a passenger said the information showed there was a bomb in our plane and the policemen were looking for it. And another five hours passed and most passengers lost their patience before we were allowed to get on the plane. At the entrance each passengers and their baggage had to be examined. A young man who seemed a soldier shouted at the policemen at the entrance, “If I had a gun in my baggage, I would shoot you two hours ago!”

1. The writer called himself “traveler” because he _______       .

 A. sold cars for his company                B. often took trains and planes

 C. traveled all over the world               D. liked traveling in many places

2. The taxi went slowly because _______       .

 A. there was much snow on the road

 B. it was very cold that morning

 C. the driver didn’t know he would fly to New York

 D. the manager told him not to hurry

3. He spent nearly _______       hours in the waiting－room that day.

 A. five              B. seven                C. eight              D. ten

4. The young man became angry because he _______       .

 A. wouldn’t be examined                  B. had a gun in his baggage

 C. waited for a long time at the airport       D. hated the policemen at the entrance

Thirty years ago I worked in a company. My job was to sell the cars. I was young and strong and I had been to most parts of the world and I spent one fifth of my time in the trains or planes. I liked such a life and sometimes I called myself “traveler”.

 But one day I got into trouble. It was a cold morning. It blew heavily and the ground was covered with thick snow outside. I was still in bed though it was nine. I finished a long journey the day before and decided to have a good rest. Suddenly the telephone rang and my manager told me to fly to New York to take part in an important meeting. I had to get up and after a quick breakfast. I hurried to the airport. The taxi went slowly and I missed the first flight. I had to take the next one. It meant I would wait for nearly five hours in the waiting-room. But five hours later a passenger said the information showed there was a bomb in our plane and the policemen were looking for it. And another five hours passed and most passengers lost their patience before we were allowed to get on the plane. At the entrance each passengers and their baggage had to be examined. A young man who seemed a soldier shouted at the policemen at the entrance, “If I had a gun in my baggage, I would shoot you two hours ago!”

1. The writer called himself “traveler” because he _______       .

 A. sold cars for his company                B. often took trains and planes

 C. traveled all over the world               D. liked traveling in many places

2. The taxi went slowly because _______       .

 A. there was much snow on the road

 B. it was very cold that morning

 C. the driver didn’t know he would fly to New York

 D. the manager told him not to hurry

3. He spent nearly _______       hours in the waiting－room that day.

 A. five              B. seven                C. eight              D. ten

4. The young man became angry because he _______       .

 A. wouldn’t be examined                  B. had a gun in his baggage

 C. waited for a long time at the airport       D. hated the policemen at the entrance

Mrs. Black was a poor old woman and she lived in a small village. Her husband died ten years ago. But she had a 24-year-old daughter. Her name was Alice. She worked in New York and lived there. It was far away from her mother's village, and she was not happy about this. One day Alice said to her mother, "I've found a good job in Boston, and I can make a lot of money there, so I will go to work in Boston next week. But don't worry, Mum. I'll send you some money every week. "

A month later, Mrs. Black was very angry. She decided to go to see her daughter in Boston on a train. When she saw her daughter, she said, "Alice, why do you never call me?"

Alice laughed, "But mother," she said, "you haven't got a telephone."

"No", she answered, "I haven't, but you have got one. "

1.Mrs. Black lived __________.

A. in Canada          B. in Australia   C. in England         D. in America

2.Mrs. Black lived __________.

A. alone                      B. with her husband

C. with her daughter          D. with her mother

3.Alice decided to work in Boston because __________.

A. New York was too far from her mother's village

B. Boston was near her mother's village

C. she had found a good job there

D. she thought Boston was a quiet and nice place

4.A month later, Mrs. Black went to see her daughter in Boston __________.

A. by air             B. by train    C. by bus             D. by sea

5.Alice had never telephoned her mother because __________.

A. she didn't have time to do so

B. her mother didn't have a telephone

C. she didn't want to spend money on calling

D. her mother didn't know how to make a telephone call

Mrs. Black was a poor old woman and she lived in a small village. Her husband died ten years ago. But she had a 24-year-old daughter. Her name was Alice. She worked in New York and lived there. It was far away from her mother's village, and she was not happy about this. One day Alice said to her mother, "I've found a good job in Boston, and I can make a lot of money there, so I will go to work in Boston next week. But don't worry, Mum. I'll send you some money every week. "
A month later, Mrs. Black was very angry. She decided to go to see her daughter in Boston on a train. When she saw her daughter, she said, "Alice, why do you never call me?"
Alice laughed, "But mother," she said, "you haven't got a telephone."
"No", she answered, "I haven't, but you have got one. "

1. 1.

   Mrs. Black lived __________

   1. A.
      in Canada
   2. B.
      in Australia
   3. C.
      in England
   4. D.
      in America
2. 2.

   Mrs. Black lived __________

   1. A.
      alone
   2. B.
      with her husband
   3. C.
      with her daughter
   4. D.
      with her mother
3. 3.

   Alice decided to work in Boston because __________

   1. A.
      New York was too far from her mother's village
   2. B.
      Boston was near her mother's village
   3. C.
      she had found a good job there
   4. D.
      she thought Boston was a quiet and nice place
4. 4.

   A month later, Mrs. Black went to see her daughter in Boston __________

   1. A.
      by air
   2. B.
      by train
   3. C.
      by bus
   4. D.
      by sea
5. 5.

   Alice had never telephoned her mother because __________

   1. A.
      she didn't have time to do so
   2. B.
      her mother didn't have a telephone
   3. C.
      she didn't want to spend money on calling
   4. D.
      her mother didn't know how to make a telephone call

Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways—emotionally, physically and mentally.
But becoming a great singer isn’t as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera（歌剧）star Carol Vaness.
At the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she often sings, Carol’s voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she’s singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes.
“When you breathe, it’s like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater,” Carol explains. “You have to take a lot of air into your lungs.”
According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is “how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it’s lot softer. When I sing for children, they’re often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears—like waves on a beach, ”Carol says. “In opera, the air doesn’t just go out of your mouth—it vibrates in your chest，the way a guitar vibrates when it’s played.”
Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice-the highest singing voice for women.
Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions（情感）expressed by words and music come to life.
Today, Carol performs throughout the United States and Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace.
“Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it,” says Carol, “because singing is a great joy. That’s why I sing. In fact, that’s why everybody sings.”
【小题1】According to the passage,  the Metropolitan Opera in New York City     .

Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways—emotionally, physically and mentally.

       But becoming a great singer isn’t as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera（歌剧）star Carol Vaness.

       At the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she often sings, Carol’s voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she’s singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes.

       “When you breathe, it’s like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater,” Carol explains. “You have to take a lot of air into your lungs.”

       According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is “how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it’s lot softer. When I sing for children, they’re often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears—like waves on a beach, ”Carol says. “In opera, the air doesn’t just go out of your mouth—it vibrates in your chest，the way a guitar vibrates when it’s played.”

       Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice-the highest singing voice for women.

       Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions（情感）expressed by words and music come to life.

       Today, Carol performs throughout the United States and Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace.

       “Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it,” says Carol, “because singing is a great joy. That’s why I sing. In fact, that’s why everybody sings.”

1.According to the passage,  the Metropolitan Opera in New York City      .

       A．is a five-story building                         B．can seat 4,000 people                   

       C．has no microphone in it                        D．can project the singer’s voice

2.What is the best title for this passage?

       A．Opera Singing and Pop Singing            B．The Way an Opera Star Sings        

       C．An Opera Star                                     D．Singing without a Microphone

3.Which statement is true?

       A．A pop singer’s lungs are usually stronger than those of an opera singer’s          

       B．Opera singing is more like speaking.     

       C．A pop singer takes in much more air than an opera singer when singing.

       D．An opera singer breathes differently from a pop singer when singing.

4.From the passage you can conclude all the following EXCEPT that      .

       A．Carol once learned to play the piano     

       B．Carol worked as a music teacher           

       C．Carol has been singing opera for 20 years or so                     

       D．Carol is popular with Americans and Europeans

Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways — emotionally, physically and mentally.
But becoming a great singer isn’t as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera（歌剧）star Carol Vaness.
At the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she often sings, Carol’s voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she’s singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes.
“When you breathe, it’s like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater, ” Carol explains. “You have to take a lot of air into your lungs.”
According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is “how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it’s a lot softer. When I sing for children, they’re often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears — like waves on a beach, ” Carol says. “In opera, the air doesn’t just go out of your mouth — it vibrates in your chest, the way a guitar vibrates when it’s played.”
Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice – the highest singing voice for women.  
Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions(情感) expressed by words and music come to life.
Today, Carol performs throughout the United States and Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace.
“Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it,” says Carol, “because singing is a great joy. That’s why I sing. In fact, that’s why everybody sings.”

1. 1.

   According to the passage, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City _____.

   1. A.
      is a five-story building
   2. B.
      can seat 4,000 people
   3. C.
      has no microphone in it
   4. D.
      can project the singer’s voice
2. 2.

   What is the best title for this passage?

   1. A.
      Opera Singing and Pop Singing
   2. B.
      The Way an Opera Star Sings
   3. C.
      An Opera Star
   4. D.
      Singing without a Microphone
3. 3.

   Which statement is true?

   1. A.
      A pop singer breathes more deeply than an opera singer when he or she sings.
   2. B.
      Opera singing is more like speaking.
   3. C.
      A pop singer takes in much more air than an opera singer when singing.
   4. D.
      An opera singer breathes differently from a pop singer when singing.
4. 4.

   From the passage you can conclude all the following EXCEPT that _____.

   1. A.
      Carol once learned to play the piano
   2. B.
      Carol worked as a music teacher
   3. C.
      Carol has been singing opera for 20 years or so
   4. D.
      Carol is popular with Americans and Europeans
5. 5.

   The sentence “Put your heart into your singing” in the last paragraph means  “_____”.

   1. A.
      devoting yourself to singing
   2. B.
      taking trouble to sing
   3. C.
      singing happily
   4. D.
      trying your best to sing

Think of some of your favorite singers. When you listen, they can make you happy or sad, peaceful or angry. They can make you relax or want to get up and dance. Gifted singers have the power to affect us in many ways — emotionally, physically and mentally.

But becoming a great singer isn’t as easy as listening to one. It takes practice, devotion and strong lungs! Just ask the well-known American opera（歌剧）star Carol Vaness.

At the Metropolitan Opera in New York City where she often sings, Carol’s voice must be loud enough to be heard by four thousand people. It must reach every person in the theater, without a microphone, even when she’s singing softly. The reason Carol can project her voice that far is the way she breathes.

“When you breathe, it’s like a swimmer taking a deep breath before going underwater,” Carol explains. “You have to take a lot of air into your lungs.”

According to Carol, the main difference between pop singing and opera is “how you breathe, how much air you take in, and how you control it coming out. Regular singing is more like speaking, and it’s a lot softer. When I sing for children, they’re often surprised by how the vibrations strike their ears — like waves on a beach, ” Carol says. “In opera, the air doesn’t just go out of your mouth — it vibrates in your chest, the way a guitar vibrates when it’s played. ”

Ever since she started piano lessons at the age of ten, Carol has loved music. As she got older, she decided to become a music teacher. When she went to college, she took singing lessons as part of her studies. Her voice teacher discovered that nineteen-year-old Carol had an exceptionally beautiful soprano voice – the highest singing voice for women.

Carol decided to make opera her goal, not only because she loved to sing but also because she loved the drama. Opera is a play in which the characters sing the words instead of speaking them. The stories of opera can be tragic or comical. They can be personal stories about two people falling in love or grand stories about kings and queens who lived long ago. As the characters in an opera sing, the emotions（情感）expressed by words and music come to life.

Today, Carol performs throughout the United States and Europe and she has song for almost twenty years. But she has never forgotten where she started singing in the first palace.

“Put your heart into your singing and enjoy it,” says Carol, “because singing is a great joy. That’s why I sing. In fact, that’s why everybody sings. ”

1. According to the passage, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City _____.

A. is a five-story building　　　　　　　 B. can seat 4,000 people

C. has no microphone in it　　　　　　　 D. can project the singer’s voice

2. What is the best title for this passage?

A. Opera Singing and Pop Singing　　　　 B. The Way an Opera Star Sings

C. An Opera Star　　　　　　　　　　　 D. Singing without a Microphone

3. Which statement is TRUE？

A. A pop singer breathes more deeply than an opera singer when he or she sings.

B. Opera singing is more like speaking.

C. A pop singer takes in much more air than an opera singer when singing.

D. An opera singer breathes differently from a pop singer when singing.

4. From the passage you can conclude all the following EXCEPT that _____.

A. Carol once learned to play the piano

B. Carol worked as a music teacher

C. Carol has been singing opera for 20 years or so

D. Carol is popular with Americans and Europeans

5. The sentence “Put your heart into your singing” in the last paragraph means “_____”.

A. devoting yourself to singing 　　　　　　 B. taking trouble to sing

C. singing happily　　　　　　　　　 D. trying your best to sing