Last week Adele's second album, 21, sold 257,000 copies in the UK, a sales figure that would look incredible as an opening sales week for any album by any global superstar. The fact that the album was celebrating its 10th week at No.1, and that each of the previous nine weeks it had sold over 100,000 copies, makes what Adele has achieved look miraculous. The last female singer to spend that long at No.1 in the UK was Madonna in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection.
For Adele, the success of 21 is part of a perfect storm of talent, timing and a connection that went beyond gender, age and credibility. But what does it say about the state of the music industry? Does Adele's success signal a return to the MOR(适合大众口味的音乐) musical depression, when the likes of James Blunt dominated the charts? Her success may well lead to a great many similar acts aiming for an MOR audience, but that's more the fault of an industry desperate to recreate any kind of success by creating poor copies until the world shouts "stop now".
What seems to have set Adele apart is her apparent ordinariness, besides that incredible voice. While Gaga parades around in a dress made of meat and Beyonce orbits a world out of touch to the majority of most human beings, Adele's chain-smoking, girl-you'd-like-to-go-to-the-pub-with persona stands out. Even for a British act, her ordinariness goes against trend, with fellow Jessie J adopting a very American habit of over-emoting, talking about a "journey" and making the idea of being a pop star seem fairly difficult.
It's this universality and broad appeal that's helped her translate talent into sales. While the first single from 21, Rolling in the Deep, appealed to Radio 1 listeners and bloggers, the second single, Someone Like You, is so successful that silenced the grand O2 Arena during this year's Brit Awards. The press can write pages and pages in that there's enough of a connection of musicians – Rick Rubin worked on the album, there's a cover of the Cure, Mumford & Sons were an influence – while the gossip magazines have been excited by the fact that the album is one long break-up record, eager to find the ex.
In 1990, Madonna was a global superstar with a back catalogue of era-defining hits to her name. She was untouchable and, tellingly, unknowable. She was (and still is) a megastar, but a megastar of a different age. These days, we want to know a bit more about our artists; that they have relationship problems, walk their dog. Her selling point and appeal is precisely the fact that she exists at the point between everyday ordinariness and pop star.
For now, Adele's success should be celebrated, especially for becoming an unlikely global star on her own terms. The danger is that we're headed for a lot of fairly boring pop, a situation that led to the "birth" of Gaga a few years back. Pop goes in cycles and it feels like we're headed back towards the very middle of MOR.
1.Adele’s achievement seems unbelievable for the reason that ____________.
A.the sales of her second album achieved an incredible success last week in the UK
B.her second album ranked first in a row with the incredible average sales per week
C.Madonna was the last female singer in the UK to stay at No. 1 as long as she did
D.she is such an ordinary singer with so fascinating a voice in the music industry
2.According to the author, the success of Adele’s second album __________________.
A.to a large extent depends on her apparent talent for music
B.is because of her extraordinariness and the wonderful voice
C.lies in gift, timing and something beyond sex, age and trust
D.is largely due to the state of the music industry currently
3.Compared with other female pop stars, what does the author think of Adele?
A.She stands out in a totally different way from Gaga and Beyonce.
B.She and Madonna are contemporary megastars in music.
C.Only she and Madonna spent that long at No.1 in the UK.
D.Jessie J and she both have an American habit of expressing themselves.
4.What helped Adele successfully turned her gift of singing into sales?
A.Her musical talent.
B.The joint work of musicians in the album.
C.Her incredible voice.
D.Her universality and broad appeal.
5.The author thinks that the current musical trend in the UK is _______________.
A.satisfying B.disappointing C.dangerous D.desperate
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题
Last week Adele's second album, 21, sold 257,000 copies in the UK, a sales figure that would look incredible as an opening sales week for any album by any global superstar. The fact that the album was celebrating its 10th week at No.1, and that each of the previous nine weeks it had sold over 100,000 copies, makes what Adele has achieved look miraculous. The last female singer to spend that long at No.1 in the UK was Madonna in 1990 with her greatest hits compilation, The Immaculate Collection.
For Adele, the success of 21 is part of a perfect storm of talent, timing and a connection that went beyond gender, age and credibility. But what does it say about the state of the music industry? Does Adele's success signal a return to the MOR(适合大众口味的音乐) musical depression, when the likes of James Blunt dominated the charts? Her success may well lead to a great many similar acts aiming for an MOR audience, but that's more the fault of an industry desperate to recreate any kind of success by creating poor copies until the world shouts "stop now".
What seems to have set Adele apart is her apparent ordinariness, besides that incredible voice. While Gaga parades around in a dress made of meat and Beyonce orbits a world out of touch to the majority of most human beings, Adele's chain-smoking, girl-you'd-like-to-go-to-the-pub-with persona stands out. Even for a British act, her ordinariness goes against trend, with fellow Jessie J adopting a very American habit of over-emoting, talking about a "journey" and making the idea of being a pop star seem fairly difficult.
It's this universality and broad appeal that's helped her translate talent into sales. While the first single from 21, Rolling in the Deep, appealed to Radio 1 listeners and bloggers, the second single, Someone Like You, is so successful that silenced the grand O2 Arena during this year's Brit Awards. The press can write pages and pages in that there's enough of a connection of musicians – Rick Rubin worked on the album, there's a cover of the Cure, Mumford & Sons were an influence – while the gossip magazines have been excited by the fact that the album is one long break-up record, eager to find the ex.
In 1990, Madonna was a global superstar with a back catalogue of era-defining hits to her name. She was untouchable and, tellingly, unknowable. She was (and still is) a megastar, but a megastar of a different age. These days, we want to know a bit more about our artists; that they have relationship problems, walk their dog. Her selling point and appeal is precisely the fact that she exists at the point between everyday ordinariness and pop star.
For now, Adele's success should be celebrated, especially for becoming an unlikely global star on her own terms. The danger is that we're headed for a lot of fairly boring pop, a situation that led to the "birth" of Gaga a few years back. Pop goes in cycles and it feels like we're headed back towards the very middle of MOR.
1.Adele’s achievement seems unbelievable for the reason that ____________.
A.the sales of her second album achieved an incredible success last week in the UK
B.her second album ranked first in a row with the incredible average sales per week
C.Madonna was the last female singer in the UK to stay at No. 1 as long as she did
D.she is such an ordinary singer with so fascinating a voice in the music industry
2.According to the author, the success of Adele’s second album __________________.
A.to a large extent depends on her apparent talent for music
B.is because of her extraordinariness and the wonderful voice
C.lies in gift, timing and something beyond sex, age and trust
D.is largely due to the state of the music industry currently
3.Compared with other female pop stars, what does the author think of Adele?
A.She stands out in a totally different way from Gaga and Beyonce.
B.She and Madonna are contemporary megastars in music.
C.Only she and Madonna spent that long at No.1 in the UK.
D.Jessie J and she both have an American habit of expressing themselves.
4.What helped Adele successfully turned her gift of singing into sales?
A.Her musical talent.
B.The joint work of musicians in the album.
C.Her incredible voice.
D.Her universality and broad appeal.
5.The author thinks that the current musical trend in the UK is _______________.
A.satisfying B.disappointing C.dangerous D.desperate
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A Christmas Carol was written by Charles Dickens. The first 6,000 copies of the book were sold out in a week. And the book has inspired many plays and movies. The first play was put on in 1844. The first two movies were silent films made in 1901 and 1908. Since then, the story has been remade more than 60 times for television and cinema. What makes such a tale so attractive? Audiences have always loved a good plot, a villain(反面人物) who harms other people or breaks the law, and the ending of right over wrong. The book offers all three.
The book tells the story of a man named Ebenezer Scrooge. He is mean and cruel(残忍的) to his clerk and turns away his only living relative. One night, Scrooge is visited by three spirits. The first shows scenes from Scrooge’s youth that led to this present state. The second takes him to the homes of his clerk and his nephew. Here Scrooge sees that people can be happy without lots of money. The spirit also shows him the desperate poor people of London. The third spirit shows Scrooge will die alone, and no one will care if he continues to live as he has. At last the message is understood, and Scrooge repents. He becomes generous and caring to all around him, especially to his clerk’s sick son, Tiny Tim.
Every year, thousands of people watch A Christmas Carol. Why? They may be touched by its lessons on the true meanings of wealth and happiness. They may enjoy the special effects and feelings or watching every year may be just a habit. Viewers never seem to grow tired of the old miser(守财奴), Scrooge, and his dramatic message of hope and change.
1.What do we know about the book A Christmas Carol?
A.It was written in the early 19th century.
B.Dickens completed the book in a week.
C.It has been adapted for cinema and television.
D.It didn’t attract readers when published for the first time.
2.The third spirit shows Scrooge .
A.where he will die and who will care about him B.how others care about his present life
C.when and how he will die alone D.what his future life will be like
3.The underlined part “Scrooge repents” probably means .
A.Scrooge feels sorry for what he has done B.Scrooge does things as he did before
C.Scrooge is angry with the three spirits D.Scrooge gives the three spirits a hand
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
---I hear you won the prize in the English contest last week.
---That was the second time I ________ the prize.
A. had got B. got C. get D. have got
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
---I hear you won the prize in the English contest last week.
---That was the second time I ________ the prize.
A. had got B. got C. get D. have got
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
Her last book sold five million copies and we hope this one will be____popular.
A. so B. as C. such D. much
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析
As a solo artist, Brightman has sold 26 million albums and two million DVDs in 34 countries. Her styles put opera, pop and jazz together. She is popular in the States but not here (Britain) - the image of her and her second husband, Andrew Lloyd Webber ( he much older, she his muse) seems for ever
The 47 - year - old 'singer talks about the new album Symphony that came out of a "very dark time", including her decision to give up trying to have children. "People have suggested I could adapt," says. "But work is central to my life now. And so I am going to put it to one side. After a while not having children becomes the norm and perhaps that might sound alarming, to parents especially, but I have never known anything different. I'm not hurt by not having children. My life and career are incredibly rich. "
Talking about growing up in a large family in Berkhamsted (father a properly developer who later committed suicide), she says : "I was gifted as a child, and very musical. I seemed to be good at anything to do with the arts. At 5 I understood the music I was dancing to and had an eye for costume." She first appeared in a West End musical at 11 and hated boarding school.
Brightman led the saucy dance troupe (辣妹三人舞) Hot Gossip and had her first hit with I Lost My Heart to a Starship Trooper in 1978. At 18 she married a music manager called Andrew Stewart. “I was probably in love but i can't remember. Girls change such a lot between 18 and 22, It didn't really work out." In 1981 she was spotted by Lloyd Webber. She became his leading lady in Song and Dance, Requiem and Phantom of the Opera. They married in 1984.
Brightman says she felt hostility (敌意) from the beginning. I haven’t tried to understand it. I've done very well everywhere else, especially the US, where I now live. I just accept it for what it is. The more you are away from Britain, the more you appreciate it. But I don't miss it, although 1 miss my family. Our profession can be uncomfortable but I enjoy what I do. I get on with it."
72. The first paragraph tells us that ________.
A. Brightman is very popular around the world except in America
B. Brightman's musical style is a mixture of opera, pop and jazz
C. the British people don't like her for her style of music
D. Brightman is much older than Andrew Lloyd Webber
73. Brightman decided to give up having children because ________.
A. she could adopt one
B. her life and career were unbelievably rich without children
C. she felt it normal not to have children
D. she was too busy
74. The following statements are true EXCEPT _________.
A. Brightman first appeared in a West End musical at 5
B. Brightman disliked life on the campus
C. Brightman was very gifted when she was young
D. The saucy dance troupe made Brightman famous
75. What does the author try to say in the last paragraph by quoting Brightman's words.'?
A. Brightman has to accept the fact that she is not liked in Britain '
B. Brightman lives in America but she loves her own country
C. The British coldness towards Brightman led to her hatred to her homeland
D. Brightman was at a loss why she was not welcome in Britain
高三英语其他题简单题查看答案及解析
Anyone for kimchi(韩国泡菜)? Around 2,000 women made the traditional dish last week in Seoul,the capital of the Republic of Korea(ROK).
Kimchi traditionally has a rosy color. Korea.net says: “The color red wards off (避开) evil spirits. The color represents the spirit of the Korean people and kimchi is more than just a food. It’s a culture.”
A meal without kimchi is unthinkable. So what is kimchi?
Joan Raymond, food writer for US website health.com, writes: “It’s a reddish, fermented (发酵的) cabbage dish , made with a mix of garlic salt, vinegar, chili peppers and other spices.
It is served at every meal, either along with or mixed with rice and noodles. It is part of a high-fiber, low fat diet, which has kept obesity(肥胖) at bay.”
Kimchi is used in everything from soups to pancakes and as a topping (配料) on pizza and burgers.
Health.com named kimchi in its list of the world’s top five healthiest foods as it is rich in vitamins, aids digestion and may even reduce the risk of cancer.
A study conducted by Seoul National University claimed that chickens infected with the H5N1 virus (bird flu) recovered after eating food containing the same bacteria found in kimchi.
When Koreans pose for photos, they say “kimchi”, instead of “cheese”.
1.According to the article, which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Kimchi contains something that can kill the H5N1 virus.
B. Kimchi is rated as the healthiest food in the world.
C. Kimchi is a cultural treasure for Koreans.
D. Each person eats 40 pounds of kimchi per month.
2.What does the underlined phrase “keep... at bay” mean?
A. predict B. prevent C. overcome D. develop
3.What does the article mainly talk about?
A. The nutritional value of kimchi. B. Ways of making kimchi.
C. The origin of kimchi. D. Kimchi and what it means to Koreans.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
With the _______ of the new album “Second Round”, May Day is now touring in major cities on the Chinese mainland, including Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
A.shot B.release C.output D.print
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析
Moby Dick,or The Whale,of which only 5 copies were sold in the year of its first publication,has been recognized as one of the greatest masterpieces of the twentieth century novels across the world.Yet its author,Herman Melville,was not blessed enough to change his fate as the great work did.
Herman was born into an upper class New York family in 1819,but he had to drop out of school at the age of 15due to bankruptcy (破产)of the family.He struggled for living by working as a clerk at a bank,a farmer and a primary school teacher,but did not manage to hold on quite long to any of the jobs.And in 1841,he turned himself a whaling sailor on a big whaler.
In the next three years,his sailor’s life was torn apart by betrayal,injury,living with anthropophagi(食人族), love,killing,imprisonment,prison break,which did not bear the expected fruit of fortune or being a captain.
At the age of 25 ,Herman returned to America,starting his writing career.During the following five years,he published five novels,among which was Moby Dick,but none of the works brought him any fame or sense of success.
He had to live up with his poor life,supported by regular financial help from his father in-law.Not much changed even after his father-in-law assisted him onto a post at the customhouse(海关).His self-doubt whether he should fight to write as an author disturbed Herman for the rest of his life till his death in 1899,which is suggested in his wife’s diary.And his wife described his several struggles where he fought bitterly back to his desk to pick up his pen.
1.Which of the following statements is TRUE about Moby Dick according to the passage?
A. It came out as a published novel in the twentieth century.
B. It was not recognized as a great work until the twentieth century.
C. It was not for sale until the twentieth century.
D. It was adampted from the passage?
2.What can be inferred from the passage?
A. Herman chose his life on purpose to make himself a great writer.
B. Herman’s parents had scheduled those failures in his life to make him a man.
C. Herman did not offer the best of himself to foresee and avoid those series of misfortune.
D. Herman’s insufficient capability to fight problems he was faced with might result.
3.What is the first working element that built Herman up be a most outstanding writer?
A. His rich life experience and perseverance. B. His sharp sense to observe and think.
C. Help from his wife and father-in-law. D. His brilliant language talent and skill.
4.What can we learn from Herman’ life story?
A. There is no much point struggling and working too hard in one’s like.
B. Never invest too much of yourself into what others have the power to judge.
C. Never trust decisions that have been made by others.
D. Never doubt yourself but stick to what you are committed to.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The books sold ________millions in one day, and the publisher had to print another ten thousand copies.
A. with B. in C. for D. at
高三英语单项填空简单题查看答案及解析