We once had a poster competition in our fifth grade art class.
     "You could win prizes, " our teacher told us as she wrote the poster information on the blackboard.
She passed out sheets of construction paper while continuing, "The first prize is ten dollars.You just have
to make sure that the words on the blackboard appear somewhere on your poster."
     We studied the board critically.Some of us looked with one eye and held up certain colors against the
blackboard, rocking the sheets to the right or left while we conjured up our designs.Others twisted their
hair around their fingers or chewed their erasers while deep in thought.We had plans for that tendollar
grand prize, each and every one of us.I'm going to spend mine on candies, one hopeful would announce, while an other practiced looking serious, wise and rich.
     Everyone in the class made a poster.Some of us used parts of those fancy paper napkins, while others used nothing but colored construction paper.Some of us used big designs, and some of us preferred to
gather our art tidily down in one corner of our poster and let the space draw the viewer's attention to it.
Some of us would wander past the good students' desks and then return to our own projects with a
growing sense of hopelessness.It was yet another grownup trick of the sort they seemed especially fond
of, making all of us believe we had a fair chance, and then always-always-rewarding the same old winners.
     I believe I drew a sailboat, but I can't say that with any certainty.I made it.I admired it.I determined
it to be the very best of all of the posters I had seen, and then I turned it in.
     Minutes passed.
     No one came along to give me the grand prize, and then someone distracted me, and I probably never would have thought about that poster again.
     I was still sitting at my desk, thinking, What poster?when the teacher gave me an envelope with a
tendollar bill in it and everyone in the class applauded for me.

1.What was the teacher's requirement for the poster?
A. It must appear in time.
B. It must be done in class.
C. It must be done on a construction sheet.
D. It must include the words on the blackboard.

2.The underlined phrase in Paragraph 3 most probably means   ___.
A. formed an idea for                
B. made an outline for
C. made some space for                
D. chose some colors for

3. After the teacher's words, all the students in the class  ____ .
A. looked very serious
B. thought they would be rich
C. began to think about their designs
D. began to play games

4. After seeing the good students' designs, some students   ____.
A. loved their own designs more
B. thought they had a fair chance
C. put their own designs in a corner
D. thought they would not win the prize

5.We can infer from the passage that the author  ____ .
A.enjoyed grownup tricks very much
B.loved poster competitions very much
C.felt surprised to win the competition
D.became wise and rich after the competition

     When I was a boy, my father told me that he could do anything he wanted to.Dad said that he wanted
to be the first to develop color prints in our city, and so he did.
     When I was 16, Dad looked closely at the violin I played and announced that he wanted to make
one.  He read about violin making, and then became a violinmaker at the age of 43.He bought the tools
and materials, opened a small store and set Mom up as the shopkeeper, while he worked at a local
company.He retired from the company 17 years later and continued to make violins and other instruments.
     Dad often guessed why the Stradivarius violins sound so beautiful.Some experts claimed that it was
the unique varnish that gave those instruments their beautiful sound.Dad argued that chemists could
analyze the varnish-if that were the answer.
      One of Dad's friends asked him once which kind of wood wasused to make violins.When Dad
explained that the top wasmade of spruce, his friend said that he had an old pieceof spruce Dad might be
interested in.He worked for the next 12 months making a violin from thewood that his friend had given
him.It proved to be a superior violin and it would become Dad's masterpiece.He was convinced that the
secret of the Stradivarius sound was in the wood itself.
     Later, the instrument was stolen.Dad's spirit was broken by the robbery, and he stopped making
instruments.But he kept the music shop until he was 80 years old, selling guitars and violins.
     My father has been gone for 14 years now.The violin has been missing for more than 25 years.
Somewhere a musician is playing a late20thcentury violin with an excellent tone.The owner today may
never understand why this ordinarylooking violin sounds so much like a Stradivarius.

1.The author mentions his father's developing color prints____  .
A. to show that his father's real interest was not in makingviolins
B. to prove that his father could do anything he wanted to
C. to give an example proving that his father was an inventor
D. to describe the real thing that made the author believe his father

2.What did the author's father think about Stradivarius violins?
A.The varnish was different from the others.
B.The way of making them was special.
C.The wood of the violins was special.
D.They could only be analyzed by chemists.

3.From the underlined sentence, we can learn that the author's father ____.
A. liked the violin very much
B. got crazy after this happened
C. lost interest in instruments        
D. didn't want to become famous

4.How long did the author's father live after the violin was stolen?
A. About 11 years.              
B. About 14 years.
C. About 25 years.                    
D. About 80 years.

5.We can infer from the last paragraph that the author  ____ .
A.really hates the thief
B.misses his father a lot
C.really wants to play the violin
D.wonders who's playing the violin now

     Isaac Stern was more than a great violin player. He was one of the most honored musicians in the
world, an international cultural ambassador. And he was also a teacher and activist. For more than sixty
years, Mr. Stern performed excellent music. He performed in concerts around the world and on
recordings.
     Isaac Stern was born in 1920 in Ukraine. His parents moved to California the following year. He began
taking violin lessons after hearing a friend play the instrument. Later, he began studying music at the San
Francisco Conservatory(舊金山音樂學(xué)院). He progressed quickly. When he was sixteen, he played
with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. The next year, he performed in New York and was
praised by music critics.
     Isaac Stern became one of the busiest musicians of his day. He played more than one hundred
concerts a year. He also became one of the most recorded musicians in history. Isaac Stern also
supported artistic development and freedom.
     In 1979, Isaac Stern visited China. He met with Chinese musicians and students. He taught them
about classical Western music. His visit was made into a film. It is called From Mao to Mozart:Isaac
Stern in China. It won an Academy Award for best documentary film.
     In 1984, Isaac Stern received the Kennedy Center Honors Award for his gifts to American culture
through music. He expressed his thoughts about the part that music plays in life. He said music is an
important part of a civilized life. He said people need music as much as they need bread.
     Isaac Stern died in 2001 at the age of eighty-one. He was a major influence on music in the twentieth
century. He leaves the world richer with his many recordings.


1. What did Isaac Stern think of music?
A. Necessary.        
B. Difficult.
C. Entertaining.            
D. Interesting.

2. The passage mentioned Isaac Stern's visit to China mainly to ________.
A. encourage people to develop the international relationship
B. advise the readers to take up music
C. introduce more achievements of Isaac Stern
D. show he acted as an international cultural ambassador

3. Which of the following statements is TRUE about Isaac Stern?
A. He was born in California in the 1920s.
B. He had visited many countries to advertise his recordings.
C. He played less than one hundred concerts in all.
D. His excellent music life lasted over 60 years.

4. From the passage, we can infer that ________.
A. Isaac Stern influenced the culture in the 20th century a lot
B. Isaac Stern was one of the most active musicians of his day
C. Isaac Stern was so busy that he couldn't spare time to educate the youth
D. Isaac Stern led a rich life in his later life

5. What will be the best title for the passage?
A. Isaac Stern and the awards he got
B. Isaac Stern's life of pursuing music
C. Isaac Stern:one of the most honored musicians
D. Isaac Stern's visit to China

      Music died here last spring, or rather, it was killed by members of the school committee who ignored
the importance of music and drama as part of the highschool curriculum.
      The committee decided that teaching students how to take a standardized test is more important than
a curriculum in which students can explore their interests in the arts as well as academics. Because the
school system is running out of funding, it needs to make sure that students pass the mastery test or even
more money will be lost. If students fail the state standardized test, it is not the fault of drama and music
classes-they are failing because the "academic" classes are not sufficient.
     It is painful to think of how many students will be discouraged from singing, acting, and playing
instruments because school programs are no longer offered. Many families cannot afford private music
lessons, and many potential musicians and artists may not find their calling if they are not exposed to it in
school. The fact that the school committee thinks the arts are not worth the investment will certainly make
some students believe the arts are not worth their time or support and the cycle will continue.
      Teaching for a test does not shape students into complete, well-rounded people. It blocks the natural
sense to create and express feelings through art-there is more to life than the analytical thinking that math
and English provide. What happens after a test?Sure, a student might graduate, but they will have limited
knowledge-certainly not a good preparation for the real world.

1. Music and drama are not included in the highschool curriculum mainly because ________.
A. the school committee pays no attention to them
B. the school is afraid of losing financial support
C. the students are not interested in both of them
D. the state standardized test is more important

2. Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?
A. The sufficiency of the classes determines students' performance in the mastery test.
B. Quite a few students are discouraged from learning music and art in today's school system.
C. Students can be musicians and artists only if they can afford private music lessons.
D. The school committee completely influences students' attitude towards the arts.

3. We can learn that music and art can ________.
A. motivate students in creativity and expression
B. make students roundshaped people in future
C. provide students with analytical thinking
D. prevent students graduation from high school

4. The best title of the passage can be ________.
A. "Who killed music and drama?"
B. "Can curriculum go without music?"
C. "Why is music so important?"
D. "How to prepare for the real world?"

      I used to work in an office,which had a locust tree growing outside the window. It had grown into a
tall tree and must have been there for a long time. The tree blocked the view and made the office seem
dull. Unfortunately,this happened to be the room assigned(分配)to me,and I was depressed by it for
quite some time.
      When the first spring came,everything was green except the locust tree. I felt very happy because I
had thought it had died!
      One morning,when I opened the window for some fresh air,I unexpectedly smelt a familiar sweet
scent floating into my office which I could not name. Suddenly,I realized it was the locust tree!The tree
that I thought dead was in full bloom!
      From then on,I usually came to the office very early to see dew(露珠)forming on the locust tree
blossoms,and was eager to see spring again every year.
      During summer,the green leaves provided shade protecting me from the harsh sunlight,but allowing
enough light in to make it pleasant. In autumn,the leaves turned many different colors.  Its beauty
touched my soul. Many times,I thought to take photos but never did. Then,I had to leave in a hurry. Later
in life,it became a great regret that I had not done so.
     Actually,many times in our lives,we think we own something and thus do not value it. We don't feel
regretful until we lose it one day!Moreover,sometimes,we have to accept the things we don't want and
need to discover the hidden beauty to find unexpected joy!

1.  The locust tree first attracted the author most by ________.
A.  the way it blocked the view  
B.  its height
C.  the smell of its flowers          
D.  its green leaves

2.  In which season do you think the author paid the least attention to the locust tree?
A.  Spring.          
B.  Summer
C.  Autumn.          
D.  Winter.

3.  Which of the following statements is true of the author according to the passage?
A.  He would have regretted if the locust tree had died as he had thought it had.
B.  The locust tree turned out to be a lovely memory for him.
C.  He felt unhappy as he had forgotten to take the photos with him.
D.  His work in the office changed with the seasons every year. 

4.  It can be inferred from the passage that ________.
A.  the locust tree died soon after the author left the office
B.  the author worked in the office for at least a few years
C.  it was summer when the author took his job in the office
D.  the weather was dry when the author first saw the tree

5.  What advice does the author intend to give us?
A.  Treasure what we've owned.
B.  Look before you leap.
C.  Treat everything calmly.
D.  Never forget the past.

      There was a park near my home. But I didn't go there very often. Many people said there was nothing special. One afternoon I went into the park and found it was really small. I walked quickly because there
wasn't much to see. I walked for some time and found myself standing in front of two paths. __1__I found that the two paths were different from each other.
      The left one was wide and clean. There were lots of flowers on both sides of the path. Though the
flowers weren't very beautiful, they made me feel good. I decided to take this path. But wait!I looked at
the right one. The path didn't look nice. __2__Grass grew everywhere. For a long time I couldn't make
up my mind.
      __3__It wasn't nice,but I didn't want to give up. At last,I came to the end of the path. Ah!There was
a small garden there. It was beautiful,perhaps the most beautiful garden I had ever seen. __4__
      Many people told me that there was nothing much to see in the park. Now I'd like to tell them that if
they had followed the right way,they would have felt differently. But when I told them about what I had
seen in the park,they just smiled at me without saying a word. I knew they didn't believe me. They couldn't even remember that path because it was so small.
      __5__Don't be afraid to choose a different path. You may get a big surprise!
A.  There is nothing that I want to see.
B.  It looked like it had not been cleaned for months.
C.  After a while a strange feeling made me follow the dirty path.
D.  "Which way should I go?"I asked myself. I looked at one way,then the other.
E.  I told them what happened.
F.  My trip to the park that day made me understand something about life.
G.  There were trees,flowers and chairs. I thought it was the nicest part of the park.