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Lively music, singing and the sound of beating drums fill the room. As an orchestra（管弦乐队）plays, performers dressed in colorful costumes move across the stage（舞台）. Welcome to Chinese opera.
Chinese opera is an important element（元素）of Chinese culture. Most operas are based on stories from long ago. The amazing stage performances are often set against grand backgrounds. Beautiful paintings, hand movements and martial arts（武术）help tell these famous stories.
There are more than 300 forms of Chinese opera, including Beijing Opera, Yue Opera, Yu Opera, Ge Zai Xi and many other forms. Of all of them, Beijing Opera is the most famous. Beijing Opera combines（合并）singing, dancing and acrobatics. Instruments such as drums, bells and cymbals accompany（伴奏）the performances.
Facial design
Traditionally, performers used masks（面具）for their facial design. Today, however, performers use makeup. They paint colorful designs on their faces. These colors and designs help to create each character. For example, a brave character has a red face, while a black face means bold. A yellow and white face represents（代表）someone who is dishonest.
Costumes
Costumes give clues（线索）to the performers’ characters and roles. Audiences（观众）that are familiar with opera will get to know a story by the masks and costumes. Costumes usually have many designs and colors. The same costume can be used in different shows, however, it will represent a different character.
Promoting the arts
Many colleges and schools in China desire（渴望）to keep the art of Chinese opera alive. They provide an education system for talented students. Applicants（应试者）must pass a written test, an audition（试镜）and an interview and only the most promising students are accepted to study at these colleges and schools. Once accepted into the program, students begin a seven-to-twelve-year journey through the school. After graduation, many go on to work as professional actors on stage or in the movies.
1.Of all forms of Chinese opera, which is the most famous?
A.Beijing Opera B.Ge Zai Xi C.Yu Opera
2.The character with a yellow and white face is________.
A.brave B.dishonest C.bold
3.What does the word promising mean in the passage?
A.诚信的 B.热情的 C.有前途的
4.Which of the statements is NOT TRUE according to the passage?
A.Anyone who likes Chinese opera can be accepted into the program.
B.If a person knows opera well, masks and costumes will help know the story.
C.Once in the program, you have to study for 7 to 12 year at school.
5.What is the passage mainly talking about?
A.Chinese culture B.Beijing Opera C.Costumes and facial design
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I was driving in my car the other day. The sun was out, the radio was playing, and I was singing along. The song was a happy one and even my weak voice sounded good singing it. Then it happened, however. The sweet sound of the music ended and the news break began.
I drove on while the news started. Gas prices were getting high again. The race for the presidency was getting worse and worse. Fights broke out when the fans of a sports team went wild while celebrating their team’ s win.
Finally, I could take no more and turned off the radio. I preferred staying in silence to listening to anything else about the crazy, competitive society we live in. I slowed down as I entered a town and watched the people as I drove by.
A man was helping an elderly lady out of a car and helping her place her walker so she could go into store.
A smiling woman was throwing some corns into her backyard while lots of birds flew down to enjoy the food before them.
A young man was walking along, carrying his 2-year-old daughter safely in his arms. He tickled her gently when she pulled the hat off his head and they both laughed. I laughed too as I looked at all of his kindness. Although the music was off, I felt my heart singing.
In truth, this world could use a little more kindness and a lot less competition. Kindness makes us all winners in life and shows us that we don’ t have to beat others all the time.
1.Why did the writer turn off the radio?
A.Because he couldn’ t stand all the bad news.
B.Because he preferred silence over sound.
C.Because he was driving into a town.
2.The underline word “walker” in the passage means “ ” in Chinese.
A.步行者 B.助行器 C.钱袋子
3.The writer noticed that the town was full of _______.
A.competition B.love and laughter C.old people and kids
4.The writer suggests that we should ________.
A.be more competitive B.listen to less news C.be kinder to others
5.Which of the following can be the best title?
A.A happy day B.More kindness, Less competitive C.A peaceful town
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某校计划举行一次文艺表演活动，负责人Sandy向全校同学发出邀请。请根据下面的海报，帮助Jack和Alice补全其回复的内容，每空一词。
Students Wanted for School Show
Time: From 3 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday, August 28th
Place: In the school music hall
Email: Sandy0717@qq. com
Come and show us!
Dear Sandy,
I am happy to get the information about the school show on 1., August 28th. I want to 2. in it. I'm good at singing and I can play the guitar, 3.. Could I get a chance please?
Looking forward to your reply!
Jack
Dear Sandy,
I'd like to take part in the school show in the music 4.. I'm in the school band. I can play the drums. And I can also dance. I really hope to 5. myself. Can I be a member?
Please reply to me soon.
Alice
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They play many different kinds of music-from traditional Thai songs to music by Beethoven. Both children and adults love this group. What makes them so popular? Is it their music? Their looks? Yes, its both of these things, but it's also something else: they’re elephants.
These musical elephants are from the Thai Elephant Conservation Center(TECC)in Lampang. The TECC protects elephants. It teaches people to understand and care for these huge, but gentle（温顺的） animals, And like many zoos around the world, the TECC encourages elephants to paint.
Richard Lair works with TECC. He knew that elephants hear better than they see. So he had an idea: if elephants are intelligent and they have good hearing, maybe they can play music. To test his idea, Lair and a friend started the Thai Elephant Orchestra(管弦乐队). During a show elephants play different kinds of instruments, including the drums. The animals also use their voices and trunks(象鼻)to make sounds.
But can elephants really, make music properly? Yes, says Lair. They’re very creative. Humans may encourage the animals to play instruments, but the elephants make their own songs; they don’t just copy their trainers or other people. There are now CDS of the group's music, which make money for the TECC. And the music these articles create is pretty amazing.
1.The elephants at the TECC_______________.
A.see better than they hear B.are encouraged to paints
C.can't create their own music D.make their own instruments
2.Richard Lair started the Thai Elephant Orchestra because he_____________.
A.was quite interested in playing music B.needed to make money for the TECC
C.thought elephants could play music D.wanted to be famous in Thailand
3.What might be the best title for the text?
A.Teaching Elephants to Paint B.Elephants in Danger
C.smart TECC Trainers D.An Unusual Orchestra.
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Musical for the new era
Some of the world’s most famous movies, like The Sound of Music（《音乐之声》）and Singin’ in the Rain(《雨中曲》), are musicals. These are both very old movies, though. It seemed as if musicals had gone out of fashion.
But La La Land, a new musical by US director Damien Chazelle, 32, had made the genre(类型) popular again. “Brilliantly written and directed, La La Land gives movie musicals life in the 21st century,” Peter Travers wrote for Rolling Stone.
Starring US actor Ryan Gosling, 36, and actress Emma Stone, 28, the movie was released in Chinese mainland on Feb14. Set in the colorful world of Hollywood’s film and music scene, the two characters-a jazz musician and an actress-sing and dance their way to love.
It has made history as the first film to win seven Golden Globe(金球奖) awards. It has also been nominated(提名) for a record-equaling 14 Oscars.
Other popular movies of today are often about violence(暴力),war, drugs(毒品) or politics. Thanks to Chazelle’s creative style, original music and wonderful location(地点), La La Land has a light feel that will put you in a good mood.
The opening scene, when hundreds of people in a traffic jam start singing , “will be studied and swooned(着迷) over for years to come,” according to Travers. “The very fact that it doesn’t have a strong political message, but is still good enough to win awards, is what makes La La Land so unusual,” Nicholas Barber, wrote for the BBC. “It is intimate(亲切的) and personal and magical.”
1.What does Peter Travers think of La La Land?
A. It is better than The Sound of Music.
B. Its genre is out of fashion.
C. It is not a good story.
D. It makes musicals popular again.
2.Which of the following is NOT true about La La Land?
A. It was directed by a 32-year-old US director.
B. It starred US actor Ryan Gosling and actress Emma Stone.
C. It’s a love story about a jazz musician and an actress.
D. It has won seven Golden Globe and 14 Oscars.
3.La La Land contains_______.
A. original music B. war scenes
C. violent scenes D. a strong political message
4.According to Nicholas Barber, La La Land ________.
A. is a very good movie B. has an impressive opening scene
C. lacks magic and personality D. needs strong political message
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In the town of Lampang in northern Thailand, there is an unusual group of musicians. They play many different kinds of music—from traditional Thai songs to music by Beethoven. Both children and adults love this group. What makes them so popular? Is it their music? Their looks? Yes, it's both of these things, but it's also something else：they're elephants.
These musical elephants are from the Thai Elephant Conservation Center （TECC）in Lampang. The TECC protects elephants. It teaches people to understand and care for these huge, but gentle, animals. And, like many zoos around the world, the TECC encourages elephants to paint.
Richard Lair works with the TECC. He knew that elephants hear better than they see. So he had an idea：if elephants are intelligent and they have good hearing, maybe they can play music. To test his idea, Lair and a friend started the Thai Elephant Orchestra. During a performance, the elephants play a variety of instruments, including the drums and the xylophone. The animals also use their voices and trunks to make sounds.
But can elephants really make music properly? Yes, says Lair. they’re very creative. Humans may encourage the animals to play instruments, but the elephants make their own songs；they don't just copy their trainers or other people. There are now CDs of the group's music, which make money for the TECC. And the music these artists create is pretty amazing.
1.What can be the best title for the passage?
A.Musical Elephants
B.An Introduction to the TECC
C.Richard Lair's Achievements
2.What does the underlined word "them" refer to in the passage?
A.Musicians. B.Children. C.Adults.
3.What can be inferred（推断） from the passage the passage ?
A.Richard Lair started the Thai Elephant Orchestra by himself.
B.The elephants in the TECC can only play traditional Thai songs.
C.The CDs of the Thai Elephant Orchestra are popular with people.
4.The writer wrote this passage to _______.
A.ask people to save the elephants
B.invite more people to join the TECC
C.introduce the elephants' special talents to people
5.Where can we most probably read this passage?
A.A medical newspaper.
B.An animal magazine
C.A story book
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Some of the world’s most famous movies, like The Sound of Music and Singin’ in the Rain（雨中曲） , are musicals . These are both very old movies, though . It seemed as if musicals had gone out of fashion.
But La La Land , a new musical by US director Damien Chazelle , 32 , has made the genre（类型） popular again . “Brilliantly written and directed , La La Land gives movie musicals life in the 21st century ,”Peter Travers wrote for Rolling Stone.
Starring（主演） US actor Ryan Gosling, 36, and actress Emma Stone, 28, the movie was released in Chinese mainland on Feb 14. Set in the colourful world of Hollywood’s film and music scene , the two characters – a jazz musician and an actress – sing and dance their way to love.
It has made history as the first film to win seven Golden Globe awards. It has also been nominated（提名） for a record-equaling 14 Oscars.
Other popular movies of today are often about violence（暴力）, war , drugs（毒品） or politics（政治） . Thanks to Chazelle’s creative style , original music and wonderful lacation, La La Land has a light feel that will put you in a good mood.
The opening scene , when hundreds of people in a traffic jam start singing , “ will be studied and swooned（着迷） over for years to come,”according to Travers. “The very fact that it doesn’t have a strong political message , but is still good enough to win awards , is what makes La Lan Land so unusual ,”Nicholas Barber , wrote for the BBC . “It is intimate（亲切的） and personal and magical.”
1.What does Peter Travers think of La La Land?
A. It is better than The Sound of Music. B. Its genre is out of fashion.
C. It is not a good story. D. It makes musicals popular again.
2.Which of the following is NOT true about La La Land ?
A. It was directed by a 32-year-old US director
B. It starred US actor Ryan Gosling and actress Emma Stone.
C. It’s a love story about a jazz musician and an actress.
D. It has won seven Golden Globe and 14 Occars.
3.La La Land contains _________.
A. original music B. war scenes C. violent scenes D. a strong political message
4.According to Nicholas Barber , La La Land _________.
A. is a very good movie B. has an impressive opening scene
C. lacks（缺乏） magic and personality D. needs strong political messages
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--The singers all act strangely, and they shout instead of singing.
--________.Popular music is exciting.
A.I'm afraid so B.I can't agree with your more C.I don't think so
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On the first day of class , Smith’s foreign students fill in forms and give the information about themselves.
| Name : Claude Country : Germany Native Language : German Time in the USA : 9 months Family : I live with my parents. Work : I used to be an art teacher in Germany. But now I’m working in a company. Interests : I love painting. I like music , too. |
| Name : Li Ming Country : China Native Language : Chinese Time in the USA : 2 years Family : I have one son. He is studying in China. My wife is an English teacher. Work : I was a math teacher. But now I’m a cook. Interests : I like cooking. I also like sports, such as basketball , table tennis and so on. |
| Name : Carolina Country : Russia Native Language : Russian Time in the USA : 4 years Family : I live with my husband and 2 children. Work : I was a basketball player. But now I’m a teacher. Interests : I love sports. I like traveling. |
| Name : Kalumi Country : Japan Native Language : Japanese Time in the USA : 3 months Family : My family , my parents and 4 brothers and sisters all live in Japan. I’m here by myself. Work : I worked as a nurse in my country. Now I’m a shop assistant. Interests : I like such activities as reading , drawing and watching TV. |
根据材料内容选择最佳答案，并将其标号填入题前括号内。
1.________has lived in America for the longest time among the four persons.
A. Kalumi B. Carolina
C. Claude D. Li Ming
2._______used to be teacher in their own countries.
A. Li Ming and Claude B. Li Ming and Carolina
C. Kalumi and Claude D. Carolina and Kalumi
3.Of the four persons , _________has a big family.
A. Claude B. Carolina
C. Li Ming D. Kalumi
4.___________like sports.
A. Li Ming and Claude B. Carolina and Kalumi
C. Li Ming and Carolina D. Kalumi and Claude
5.These persons will ________ together.
A. draw pictures B. study in the same class
C. teach English D. play sports
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Fill in the blanks with the proper forms of given words.
1.I helped my mother to buy some beef and three ______(potato) for supper today.
2."Belt and Road"（一带一路) are the two wings of developing Asia in the ____(twenty-one) century.
3.Please keep ___(silence) in the concert hall because people are enjoying Lang Lang's piano performance.
4.Candy _________(lay) out the tea, fruit and snacks on the table and waited for the visitors.
5.With the development of technology, mobile phones are _______(wide) used these days.