Opera for Beginners
Many people think that opera is boring, difficult to understand and unpleasant to listen to. They only see strange people singing in a foreign language and wearing funny costumes. They're too quick to judge and a lot of people have believed stupid ideas about opera without ever actually seeing one. If one takes opera seriously, with an open heart, and goes to several good live performances, I don't see any reason why he or she would dislike or hate it. The following tips can help you learn to enjoy opera.
First of all, if you are new to opera, start with a short, well-known title, such as The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. In the beginning, avoid difficult operas with complex storylines. If your first experience is not fun, then you will expect all operas to be boring. Moreover, before going to a performance, do a little bit of homework: learn the story of the opera. If you know about the main characters and the story before you start watching, it will be much easier to understand what is happening on the stage. Finally, the most important way to enjoy opera is to keep an open mind. If you believe that you will enjoy watching opera, then you will most likely enjoy it. Think of opera as a live TV show. Opera shows the same things—love and hate, good and evil and humans and nature—that are found in many of today's popular movies and best-selling novels. In fact, many of these movies and novels use stories copied from famous operas!
Opera is full of catchy, wonderful melodies （旋律）. It's full of drama and laughter. It's full of wonder and life. Opera can be fun to watch, and it allows the audience to experience different cultures. Many people have enjoyed it for hundreds of years, and by following the tips above, you can enjoy it, too. Indeed, opera will change the minds of the people who once hated it. And most importantly, as one of the most diverse art forms out there, opera helps you appreciate different performance styles from all over the world.
1.Many people think that opera is boring because ______.
A.it is like a TV show B.they know little about it
C.they dislike its storylines D.its music style is old-fashioned
2.Which is a good way for beginners to enjoy opera?
A.To start with a long opera. B.To learn to sing an opera.
C.To master a foreign language. D.To get familiar with an opera's story.
3.Many famous operas, popular movies, and best-selling novels ______.
A.have the same writer B.share a similar story
C.teach people about lifestyles D.help people keep an open mind
4.What does the underlined word “diverse” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Various. B.Humorous. C.Ancient. D.Exciting.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题
Opera for Beginners
Many people think that opera is boring, difficult to understand and unpleasant to listen to. They only see strange people singing in a foreign language and wearing funny costumes. They're too quick to judge and a lot of people have believed stupid ideas about opera without ever actually seeing one. If one takes opera seriously, with an open heart, and goes to several good live performances, I don't see any reason why he or she would dislike or hate it. The following tips can help you learn to enjoy opera.
First of all, if you are new to opera, start with a short, well-known title, such as The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart. In the beginning, avoid difficult operas with complex storylines. If your first experience is not fun, then you will expect all operas to be boring. Moreover, before going to a performance, do a little bit of homework: learn the story of the opera. If you know about the main characters and the story before you start watching, it will be much easier to understand what is happening on the stage. Finally, the most important way to enjoy opera is to keep an open mind. If you believe that you will enjoy watching opera, then you will most likely enjoy it. Think of opera as a live TV show. Opera shows the same things—love and hate, good and evil and humans and nature—that are found in many of today's popular movies and best-selling novels. In fact, many of these movies and novels use stories copied from famous operas!
Opera is full of catchy, wonderful melodies （旋律）. It's full of drama and laughter. It's full of wonder and life. Opera can be fun to watch, and it allows the audience to experience different cultures. Many people have enjoyed it for hundreds of years, and by following the tips above, you can enjoy it, too. Indeed, opera will change the minds of the people who once hated it. And most importantly, as one of the most diverse art forms out there, opera helps you appreciate different performance styles from all over the world.
1.Many people think that opera is boring because ______.
A.it is like a TV show B.they know little about it
C.they dislike its storylines D.its music style is old-fashioned
2.Which is a good way for beginners to enjoy opera?
A.To start with a long opera. B.To learn to sing an opera.
C.To master a foreign language. D.To get familiar with an opera's story.
3.Many famous operas, popular movies, and best-selling novels ______.
A.have the same writer B.share a similar story
C.teach people about lifestyles D.help people keep an open mind
4.What does the underlined word “diverse” in the last paragraph probably mean?
A.Various. B.Humorous. C.Ancient. D.Exciting.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
For some of us, the excitement of seeing a performance at a European opera house is just not enough. Fortunately, opera houses throughout Europe open their backstage doors to the public. Take advantage of these opportunities to look behind the scenes of some of the world's great opera houses.
Teatro alla Scala Opera House Tours—Milan
Discover the activities within the opera house on a backstage tour of the La Scala theater in Milan. The tour also includes an overview of the history of the theater and guides you through the auditorium(观众席) and the theater boxes.
Paris Opera House Tours—Paris
While it is possible to walk around the public areas of the beautiful Paris Opera House on your own, guided tours are also offered and are led by an English-speaking guide. During the 90- minute tour, you will learn about the theater's history and its architecture. You will also have an opportunity to visit the grand staircase.
Royal Opera House Tours—London
It is one of the most comprehensive of the opera house tours in Europe. The guide at the Royal Opera House takes you through sections of the backstage area to the props (道具) room, where workers build the sets, the costume shop and the ballet studios. There's a chance that you will even catch the ballet dancers backstage in practice in their big ballet studio.
La Fenice Opera House Tours—Venice
Teatro La Fenice in Venice offers a couple of options for visitors. A self-guided tour of the beautiful halls and grounds with a voice guide is available at the box office. Guided tours are also available with an expert that will explain the history of the opera house from its origins to its rebuilding.
1.In which opera house might you be able to see a costume shop backstage?
A.The Teatro alla Scala Opera House B.The Paris Opera House
C.The Royal Opera House D.The La Fenice Opera House
2.What do the above four opera houses have in common?
A.They all offer free guided tours.
B.They all open their backstage areas to the public.
C.They are all free to the public.
D.They are all located in France.
3.Where can we most probably find this text?
A.In a sports magazine B.In an adventure novel
C.In a history book D.On a culture website
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Giacomo Puccini was born in 1858 and was a son of a musical director. 1. He is remembered as a master of opera.
2. Many early forerunners of Impressionistic Music including Rimsky-Korsakov, Strauss, Schoenberg and Stravinsky, inspired him greatly.
Turandot, an opera based on an Italian drama by the same name, is by far considered to be one of Puccini’s most popular and most performed works.
It’s a pity that Puccini had no chance to watch his own great opera himself. 3.
In this opera you can hear a traditional Chinese folk song, which is titled Molihua or Jasmine Flower. 4. Among them the version sung in Jiangsu, a province in south China, is the most popular one. By admiring the jasmine flower, the song celebrates the sweetness and beauty of romantic love. 5. In 1804 the song was published in a book by British diplomat, making it the first Chinese folk song that gained popularity outside China.
A.Turandot is performed regularly all over the world
B.At the end of the 18th century. it was first translated into English
C.It’s believed that Puccini’s operas are strong in emotion and conflict.
D.The opera was first performed in 1926, two years after Puccini’s death.
E.During his music career, Puccini was also influenced by other musicians.
F.Though Puccini received training in various areas of music, his true love was in opera
G.There are many different versions of Molihua or Jasmine Flower in different parts of China.
高一英语七选五中等难度题查看答案及解析
In many ways, Alma Deutscher is like other 11-year-olds. She loves to climb trees, dance, read, and draw. But Alma, who lives in Dorking, England, has made one very special achievement. She has composed a full opera and brought it to the stage. Her opera, a retelling of Cinderella (灰姑娘), premiered (首次演出) in December 2016, in Vienna, Austria.
“I’ve loved Cinderella since I was 3,” Alma said. But she felt the story needed an improvement. “I didn’t like the thing about the shoe,” she says. “Why should the prince find her because of her feet?”
In Alma’s version (版本), Cinderella is a composer. She creates a melody (旋律) that she sings to the prince before fleeing the ball. “He remembers the beginning but not how it went on,” Alma says. The prince realizes that only Cinderella would know how the melody continues. He uses that knowledge to find her.
Alma began writing the opera when she was 8. It premiered on December 29, 2016, and the audience stood up and cheered. Alma played the piano and violin and performed in the show. “It was something that was completely inside my head, in my imagination, and then it came to life,” Alma says.
Alma says she is sure that music will remain a major part of her life. “I have lots of things that I want to compose,” she says. “The first one is a piano concerto (协奏曲). Then I’m writing a novel, and I want to write a movie based on it, and the music for that.”
She also has advice for kids who want to achieve their big dreams. “It’s a lot of work to reach a high level,” Alma says. “But if you love what you are doing, it doesn’t feel like hard work. Don’t let anyone stop you from doing it.”
1.What does the author mostly want to tell us about Alma Deutscher in Paragraph 1?
A.She is a cute girl. B.She lives in Vienna Austria.
C.She has a special music talent. D.She is always ready to help others.
2.What can we learn from Alma’s version of Cinderella?
A.The prince knows how the melody continues.
B.The prince finds Cinderella because of a melody.
C.The prince finds Cinderella because of her shoes.
D.The prince sings a melody to Cinderella before her fleeing the ball.
3.How was the performance of Alma’s Opera Cinderella?
A.It was a great success. B.It disappointed the audience.
C.It set a good example for other kids. D.It was something in Alma’s imagination.
4.What can we learn from Alma’s advice to other kids in the last paragraph?
A.Knowledge is power. B.A good beginning is half done.
C.Failure is the mother of success. D.Nothing is difficult if you’re enthusiastic.
高一英语阅读选择中等难度题查看答案及解析
Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”. Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence(证据) is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart. Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症).
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently
found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate
per day for two weeks their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼). In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks.
Better for your skin. German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day. After three months, the women’s skin was moister(滑润的)and smoother. The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving by increasing blood flow to the brain.
1.Which of the following is wrong?
A．Coca’s chemicals can prevent both cell damage and inflammation.
B．Chocolate may help you lower your blood pressure.
C．People early know chocolate is good for their health.
D．Chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
A．Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk.
B．Sports drinks can make people easy to be tired.
C．Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work.
D．We should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard.
3.What’s the main idea of the text?
A．Chocolate, a Healthy Food B．More Chocolate, Less Health
C．Chocolate and Blood Pressure D．Advice on Eating Chocolate
4.What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues” in the first paragraph?
A．Think of it. B．Speak up. C． Stop talking D．Listen to it
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”．Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence(证据) is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa—the main ingredient in chocolate and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart．Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow．These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症)．
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help．Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly．
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼)．In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks．
Better for your skin．German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day．After three months, the women’s skin was moister(滑润的)and smoother．The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance．
Brain gains
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving by increasing blood flow to the brain．
1.Which of the following is wrong?
A. Coca’s chemicals can prevent both cell damage and inflammation.
B. Chocolate may help you lower your blood pressure.
C. People early know chocolate is good for their health.
D. chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
A．Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk．
B．Sports drinks can make people easy to be tired．
C．Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work．
D．We should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard．
3.What’s the main idea of the text?
A．Chocolate, a Healthy Food B．More Chocolate, Less Health
C．Chocolate and Blood Pressure D．Advice on Eating Chocolate
4.The conclusion that chocolate may help lower blood pressure was brought out by________．
A．scientists at Harvard University
B．Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University
C．scientists at Indiana University
D．German researchers
5.What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues” in the first paragraph?
A．．Think of it．． B．Speak up． C. Stop talking D．Listen to it
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Chocolate is good for your heart, skin and brain. Usually, people think that chocolate is bad for their health. They describe chocolate as “something to die for” or say “death by chocolate”. Now they should bite their tongues! Evidence is showing that some kinds of chocolate are actually good for you in the following ways:
A happier heart
Scientists at Harvard University recently examined 136 studies on cocoa— the main ingredient in chocolate— and found that it does seem to strengthen the heart. Studies have shown heart benefits from increased blood flow. These benefits are the result of cocoa’s chemicals, which seem to prevent both cell damage and inflammation(炎症)。
Better blood pressure
If yours is high, chocolate may help. Jeffrey Blumberg from Tufts University recently found that people with high blood pressure who ate 3.5ounces of dark chocolate per day for two weeks saw their blood pressure drop quickly.
Muscle magic
Chocolate milk may help you recover after a hard workout(锻炼). In a small study at Indiana University, people who drank chocolate milk between workouts did better on a tiredness test than those who had some sports drinks.
Better for your skin
German researchers gave 24 women a half-cup of special cocoa every day. After three months, the women’s skin was moister(润滑的) and smoother. The research shows that chocolate helps protect and increase blood flow to the skin, improving its appearance.
Brain gains.
It sounds almost too good to be true, but research suggests that chocolate may improve your memory, attention span, reaction time, and problem-solving skills by increasing blood flow to the brain.
1.What’s the meaning of “bite their tongues” in the first paragraph?
A. Stop talking. B. Speak up.
C. Think of it. D. Listen to it.
2.What’s the meaning of the underlined sentence in the fourth paragraph?
A. Sports drinks are better than chocolate milk.
B. sports drinks can make people easy to be tired.
C. Drinking milk can keep you energetic at work.
D. we should drink chocolate milk between times when we work hard.
3.What’s the best title for this passage?
A. Chocolate, a Healthy Food
B. More Chocolate, Less Health
C. Chocolate and Blood Pressure
D. Advice on Eating Chocolate
高一英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people think that babysitting is one of the_______jobs for young people. They imagine a teenager putting a few well-behaved children to bed and then continuing to watch television until the parents return home to hand over some money. Well, I can tell you how_______that thought is.
I now work all_______on Wednesdays for a Ukrainian family with three young boys. In the early morning, I go there to _______the older two while their mother does her jobs or takes care of her six-month-old baby. However, I am also there to_______their English by teaching them songs and games in my native language.
Now, four months later, I get home at the end of the day_______exhausted！Babysitting is not a job for the_______or the weak. I expected_______children who would behave well and listen to me all the time. _______,I don’t think those kind of children exist at all. While my two boys are usually polite and calm, they are_______children and also like to fight, scream and lose their temper for no real_______. I often have no idea why they cry together.
Being a babysitter requires you to play a hundred different_______throughout the day. I have to be a friend when I play with the boys, but their _______when I tell them to do something. When they hurt themselves, I have to be their_______, and when they fight over_______ things like sharing their crayons(彩笔)，I have to be a negotiator(调停者)。 When lunchtime rolls around, I am a(n) _______to prepare the meal and then a maid as I clean up after lunch. Finally, in English, if someone is very_______, we say they have the “Patience of God”. I think I embody(体现) this _______sometimes!
Despite the_______involved in my job, I usually do enjoy it. Working with children is so tiring that I always feel_______after leaving them with their parents at the end of the day！
1.A. hardest B. worst C. easiest D. heaviest
2.A. wrong B. wonderful C. right D. believable
3.A. morning B. afternoon C. night D. day
4.A. take off B. struggle against C. send for D. look after
5.A. learn B. improve C. explore D. recognize
6.A. suddenly B. gradually C. completely D. exactly
7.A. lazy B. young C. strong D. rich
8.A. impolite B. perfect C. tall D. noisy
9.A. Amazingly B. Strangely C. Sadly D. Hopefully
10.A. traditional B. formal C. unusual D. ordinary
11.A. purpose B. doubt C. reason D. question
12.A. jobs B. parts C. looks D. toys
13.A. teacher B. gardener C. driver D. assistant
14.A. nurse B. trainer C. guide D. protector
15.A. surprising B. unimportant C. serious D. expensive
16.A. manager B. eater C. adviser D. cook
17.A. patient B. impatient C. energetic D. lucky
18.A. action B. language C. lesson D. expression
19.A. satisfaction B. exhaustion C. disagreement D. kindness
20.A. frightened B. energetic C. relaxed D. nervous
高一英语完形填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Many people think teachers give pupils too much homework. They say that it is unnecessary for children to work at home in their free time. Moreover, they argue that most teachers do not 1.(proper) plan the homework tasks they give to pupils. The result is that pupils have to repeat tasks which they 2. (do) at school already.
In Greece, many parents complained about the difficult homework that teachers gave to their children. The parents said that most of the homework was 3. waste of time, and they wanted to stop it. Spain and Turkey are two countries 4. stopped homework recently. In Denmark, Germany and several other 5. (country) in Europe, teachers cannot set homework at weekends. In Holland, teachers allow pupils 6. (stay) at school to do their homework. The children are free to help one another. Similar 7. (arrange) also exists in some British schools.
Most people agree that homework is not fair. A pupil who can do his homework in a quiet and comfortable room is in a much 8.(good) position than a pupil who does his homework in a small, 9. (noise) room with the television on. Some parents are ready to help their children with their homework. But other parents even take no interest 10. their children’s homework at all.
高一英语短文填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Some people think that success is only for those with talent or those who grow up in the right family, and others believe that success mostly comes down to luck. I’m not going to say luck, talent, and circumstances don’t come into play because they do .some people are born into the right family while others are born with great intelligence, and that’s just the reality of how life is.
However, to succeed in life, one first needs to set a goal and then gradually make it more practical. And, in addition tothat, in order to be really good at something, one needs to spend at least 10,000 hours studying and practicing. To become great at certain things, it’ll require even more time, time that most people won’t put in.
This is a big reason why many successful people advise you to do something you love. If you don’t enjoy what you do ,it is going to feel like unbearable pain and will likely make you quit well before you ever become good at it.
When you see people exhibiting some great skills or having achieved great success, you know that they have put in a huge part of their life to get there at a huge cost. It’s sometimes easy to think they got lucky or they were born with some rare talent, but thinking that way does you no good, and there’s a huge chance that you’re wrong anyway.
Whatever you do, if you want to become great at it, you need to work day in and day out, almost to the point of addiction, and over a long period of time. If you’re not willing to put in the time and work, don’t expect to receive any rewards. Consistent, hard work won’t guarantee you the level of success you may want, but it will guarantee that you will become really good at whatever it is you put all that work into.
1.Paragraph 1 mainly talks about ________.
A. the reasons for success
B. the meaning of success
C. the standards of success
D. the importance of success
2.In Paragraph 2,the underlined word that refers to ______.
A. being good at something
B. setting a practical goal
C. putting in more time
D. succeeding in life
3.What can we infer from Paragraph 4?
A. Successful people like to show their great skills.
B. People sometimes succeed without luck or talent.
C. People need to achieve success at the cost of life.
D. It helps to think that luck or talent leads to success.
4.What is the main theme of the passage?
A. Having a goal is vital to success.
B. Being good is different from being great.
C. One cannot succeed without time and practice.
D. Luck, talent and family help to achieve success.
高一英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析