Rock stars and their money
Around the world young people are spending unbelievable sums of money listening to rock music. Forbes reports that at least fifty rock stars have incomes between two million and six million dollars per year.
"It doesn't make sense," says Johnny Mathis, one of the older music millionaires, who made a million dollars a year when he was popular in 1950s. "Performers aren't worth this kind of money. In fact, nobody is."
But the rock stars' admirers seem to disagree. Those who love rock music spend about two billion dollars a year for records. They pay 150 million to see rock stars in person.
Luck is a key word for explaining the success of many. In 1972 one of the luckiest was Kon Mclean, who wrote and sang "American Pie". Mclean writes his own music, so he earns an additional two cents on every single record of the song.
Neil Young who performs in torn blue jeans, sometimes sings to an audience of 10,000, each of whom has paid five dollars for a ticket. After paying expenses, Young leaves with about $ 18,000 in his blue jeans at the end of an evening.
How do the rock stars use their money? What do they do when the money starts pouring in like water? Most of the young stars simply show the money around. England's Elton John gave someone a $ 38,000 Rolls car and bought himself 5,000 pairs of eyeglasses, then lighted up and spelt :E-L-T-O-N. He also bought himself two cars, "one for each foot".
Many rock stars live like Grace Slick and Jefferson Airplane. Those performers return from a tour, pay their bills, and buy new toys. Then when they need money again, they do another tour. They save no money and live from hand to mouth.www.zxxk.com
In the end the rock stars' life is unrewarding. After two or three years riches and fame are gone. Left with his memories and his tax problems, the lonely star spends his remaining years trying to attract strangers. New stars have arrived to take his place.
【小题1】 This passage is mainly about .
A.the success of a rock star | B.the way rock stars live |
C.rich rock stars | D.the admirers of rock stars |
A. $10,000 | B.$33,000 | C. $32,000 | D.$38,000 |
A.they have to earn money by hand |
B.They know how to spend money in a reasonable way |
C.they earn money only for their immediate enjoyment |
D.they steal to feed their mouth when they need money |
【小题1】B
【小题2】C
【小题3】C
解析试题解析:本文介绍了一些摇滚明星看似收人不菲其实真正的生活并不像舞台的他们的光鲜,详细介绍了他们是怎样花钱和真实生活的一面。
【小题1】总结归纳题。通读全文得知摇滚明星虽然一年有不菲的收人,但这只是他们流行时的收人,只是光鲜的一面,通过举例说明是他们的实际生活,所以B正确。
【小题2】细节理解题。根据第五段Neil Young who performs in torn blue jeans, sometimes sings to an audience of 10,000, each of whom has paid five dollars for a ticket. After paying expenses, Young leaves with about $ 18,000 in his blue jeans at the end of an evening.可以得出:买票收人是:$ 50,000,自己所得款是$ 18,000,所以所付费用是:50000---18000=32000,所以C正确。
【小题3】词义猜测题。根据划线部分前句Those performers return from a tour, pay their bills, and buy new toys. Then when they need money again, they do another tour.可以知道他们挣了钱就用于即时的享乐了,他们不存钱,所以C正确。
考点:考查社会生活类短文阅读。
科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
You’ve just come home, after living abroad for a few years. Since you’ve been away, has this country changed for the better or for the worse?
If you’ve just arrived back in the UK after a fortnight’s holiday, small changes have probably surprised you—anything from a local greengrocer suddenly being replaced by a mobile-phone shop to someone in your street moving house.
So how have things changed to people coming back to Britain after seven, ten or even 15 years living abroad? What changes in society can they see that the rest of us have hardly noticed—or now take for granted? To find out, we asked some people who recently returned.
Debi: When we left, Cheltenham, my home town, was a town of white, middle-class families—all very conservative (保守的).The town is now home to many eastern Europeans and lots of Australians, who come here mainly to work in hotels and tourism. There are even several shops only for foreigners.
Having been an immigrant (移民) myself, I admire people who go overseas to find a job. Maybe if I lived in an inner city where unemployment was high, I’d think differently, but I believe foreign settlers have improved this country because they’re more open-minded and often work harder than the natives.
Christine: As we flew home over Britain, both of us remarked how green everything looked. But the differences between the place we’d left behind and the one we returned to were brought sharply into focus as soon as we landed.
To see policemen with guns in the airport for the first time was frightening — in Cyprus, they’re very relaxed — and I got pulled over by customs officers just for taking a woolen sweater with some metal-made buttons out of my case in the arrivals hall. Everyone seemed to be on guard. Even the airport car-hire firm wanted a credit card rather than cash because they said their vehicles had been used by bank robbers. But anyway, this is still a green, beautiful country. I just wish more people would appreciate what they’ve got.
【小题1】After a short overseas holiday, people tend to ______ .
A.expect small changes | B.notice small changes |
C.welcome small changes | D.exaggerate (夸大) small changes |
A.Cautiously. | B.Skeptically. | C.Positively. | D.Critically. |
A.the tight security | B.the messy arrivals hall |
C.the relaxed policemen | D.the bank robbers |
A.Life in Britain. | B.Britain in Memory. |
C.Britain in Future. | D.Back in Britain. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
If your child has mobile internet access, it will be more difficult to monitor(监督) and control his or her internet use. Kids are turning to the internet for everything from hanging out with friends to shopping, which makes it harder for parents to keep track of their online activities. Fortunately, there are many choices for controlling what your kids see on their computers, laptops, and mobile devices.
Content blockers and filters are great tools to use for younger kids. They allow you more control over where they go and what they do online. A content blocker can block some unhealthy websites or limit a child’s search to the kind of sites. A content filter can scan sites and pictures and block those sites that contain certain words, key phrases, or content.
Consider tracking software for older teenagers. This software enables you to see which sites your children have visited, tracking their path online. This tool gives young people more freedom to explore the Internet, but it also allows you to check that they are using the internet responsibly. Let your teenagers know that you trust them, but that you will be regularly checking that they are visiting appropriate sites online.
Even if you use content blockers, filters, and trackers, you know that a lot of kids figure out ways to get around these, so it’s important to remain alert(警惕的). Remember that not all adult sites can be identified by blocker, filter, or tracker software. That’s why it’s important to talk to your kids about what to do when something inappropriate or scary comes up. Nothing can replace involvement and supervision(监督) by adults. Keep monitoring how your kids use the internet on a regular basis without getting into the role of internet traffic police.
【小题1】What is the passage mainly about?
A.More and more kids have mobile internet access |
B.Some choices for monitoring and controlling kid’s internet use |
C.It is difficult to monitor and control kid’s internet use |
D.Kids are turning to the internet for everything |
A.With tracking software |
B.With tracking software and content blockers and filters |
C.With content blockers and filters |
D.With filters and trackers |
A.how to monitor and control older teenagers’ internet use |
B.how to monitor and control younger kids’ internet use |
C.tracking software |
D.Content blockers and filters |
A.content blockers, filters, and trackers are useless. |
B.lots of kids figure out ways to get around content blockers, filters, and trackers. |
C.not all adult sites can be identified by blocker, filter, or tracker software |
D.nothing can replace involvement and supervision by adults |
A.Tracking software | B.Content blockers and filters |
C.Filters and trackers | D.Involvement and supervision by adults |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
My cat Toto is aging,and as she ages,her body is failing her.Mentally,she seems sharp,but after nearly sixteen years,Toto’s hips are causing her obvious trouble.In fact,they make it so that she can’t use a litter box effectively.She tries to squat(蹲坐),but mostly she just pisses(撒尿)out the back end of the box.
I spent the summer working with my vet to find things to help Toto,but nothing works.Since we can’t stand the smell of cat urine in the house,two weeks ago I took drastic measures.I banished Toto outside.(She gets to come in while I work,but I put her out for 80%of the day and night.)
Because Toto now lives outside,she eats and drinks outside.I’ ve set up a heating pad on the porch.and given her own food and water area nearby.She seems perfectly content with this arrangement except when she’s out of food,or she wants to be petted.
Strangely enough,she’s been out of food a lot lately.“I think another cat is eating Toto’s food.”I told Kris when I first noticed how quickly she was going through her bowl.
“Actually,”I said a couple of days later,“maybe it’s a dog.Whoever is eating Toto’s food keeps knocking the bowl over.”
But a few days after that,I realized that the food thief probably wasn’t even a dog.Whatever the critter(动物)was,it was messy. Every morning,Toto’s water dish was filled with mud.The food bowl was tipped over and the porch scattered with mud and debris(残渣).“I’ ll bet it’s a coon(浣熊),”I told Kris.Though we live in a residential neighborhood not far from Portland,we’ ve seen plenty of raccoons in the six years since we moved in.
Today I got to see the cat-food thievery first-hand.Turns out it’s not one raccoon-it’s a family of four.I was lucky enough to have my camera handy as they performed their daring raid:My favorite part of this video is how Toto simply sits on her heating pad and watches the raccoons eat her food.She isn’t bothered at all.
【小题1】Which of the following about Toto is true?
A.She is physically sharp. |
B.She is at least sixteen years old. |
C.She can’t use a litter box properly. |
D.She stays outside all the while recently. |
A.drove away or forced somebody or something to leave |
B.put away or stored something |
C.protected somebody or something from being harmed |
D.threw something away |
A.How Toto fought against the raccoons. |
B.A family of raccoons stole the food together. |
C.Toto’s casual attitude toward the raccoons. |
D.How the raccoons made the writer’s porch dirty. |
A.My Aged Cat | B.A Banished Cat |
C.An Unforgettable Experience | D.The Raccoons on My Porch |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Every day, 15-year-old Martha wrote on the Internet about the meal she ate at school. She also took pictures of the food. However, Martha was very honest about the food. She did not just describe the food. She judged the taste and health of the food.
Martha also began to use her blog for an important reason. She began to raise money for the organization Mary’s Meals in the East African country of Malawi. It provides food food for children in schools for free. Martha encouraged her readers to send money to Mary’s Meals to help build a kitchen.
But then, Martha began to have a problem. Many people read her blog. She became big news. The news stories showed that the food at Martha’s school was not always healthy. And that made some people angry. So the school officials decided to stop Martha’s blog. They said that she could not take her camera to school.
But an amazing thing happened. Many people began sending messages of support across the Internet. Martha’s story was even bigger than before. Now the officials had to change their minds. A few days later, Martha was again writing her blog. But more than that, people had sent a lot of money for the Malawi school children. Martha had hoped to raise about 10,000 dollars. But the total reached 10,000 dollars and still kept on growing!
Martha’s blog also helped to improve meals at her school. One day she wrote: As we waited for dinner we were told that we are allowed to eat as much fruit and bread as we want.
No one knows what will happen to Martha’s blog in future. But already this little girl has helped to change the eating experience of many children just by sharing on the Internet pictures of her school meals.
【小题1】Martha wrote about her school meals on her blog to ______
A.invite students to judge the food |
B.show the terrible taste of food |
C.express her opinion about the food |
D.ask the school t improve the food |
A.was set up by Martha |
B.provides free school meals |
C.is an international organization |
D.help poor families build kitchens |
A.It had a bad influence on her study. |
B.Some people were upset by it content. |
C.Taking pictures needs a lot of time. |
D.Many other students started to copy her. |
A.School meals | B.Mary’s Meals |
C.Power of the Internet | D.Martha shares her food |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
I find some of the ways in which Chinese parents show love for their children rather surprising. Obviously there are some pretty big differences between our behaviors and theirs in this respect. Most Chinese children seem to get whatever they want, from ice creams, sweets and toys to endless attention from the adults around them. Is this a sort of spoiling or love? I wonder.
Most westerners would think it is a sort of spoiling rather than love. We think love means educating your children and bringing them up to lead an independent life. That includes learning to accept the fact that he can't get everything he wants. As an adult, he will not always get the quite expensive car he hunts for; she will not always manage to acquire the beautiful dress she longs for. So we try to teach our children early to cope with the disappointment of not getting what they want.
I find too much such kind of love for the children can actually spoil them. To my surprise, it seems that the life of a Chinese child is rather hard. Without doubt, the child is the very center of a whole circle of adults, but on the other hand he or she is also expected to start studying according to adults' wishes. Many children of my son's age take piano lessons, painting classes and even English lessons. It looks as if Chinese adults think that just playing without learning anything is a waste of time. So in this respect our children appear spoiled, just because they are allowed to play. But without this sort of play how can western children develop such free and rich imaginations? In fact the connection between this imagination and the creativity is so important in the children’s future life.
【小题1】In which way do most Chinese children seem to be spoiled?
A.They can be supported by their parents. |
B.They can play whenever they want. |
C.They need not behave themselves. |
D.Their demands can always be satisfied. |
A.rather hard | B.rather easy | C.independent | D.colorful |
A.they can manage time by themselves |
B.they can have the freedom to play |
C.they can take piano lessons |
D.they may have expensive toys |
A.Chinese children's early education |
B.How to develop kids' imagination |
C.What is the real love for children |
D.The imagination and creativity |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Some people believe that international sport creates goodwill between the nations and that if countries play games together they will learn to live together. Others say that the opposite is true: international contests encourage false national pride and lead to misunderstanding and hatred. There is probably some truth in both arguments, but in recent years the Olympic Games have done little to support the view that sports encourage international brotherhood. Not only was there the incident of tragedy involving murders of athletes, but the Games were also ruined by lesser incidents caused principally by minor national contests.
One country received its second-place medals with visible anger after the hockey final. There had been noisy scenes at the end of the hockey match, as the losers disagreed with the final decisions. They believed that one of their goals should have been allowed and that their opponents’ victory was unfair. Their manager was in great anger when he said: “This isn’t hockey. Hockey and the International Hockey Federation are finished.” The president of the Federation said later that such behavior could result in the suspension(停赛) of the team for at least three years.
The American basketball team announced that they would not yield first place to Russia, after a disputable(有争议的) end to their contest. The game had ended in disorder. It was thought at first that the United States had won by a single point, but it was announced that there were three seconds still to play. A Russian player then threw the ball from one end of the court to the other, and another player popped it into the basket. It was the first time the US had ever lost an Olympic basketball match. An appeal jury (评审委员会) debated the matter for four and a half hours before announcing that the result would stand. The American players then voted not to receive the silver medals.
Incidents of this kind will continue as long as sport is played competitively rather than for the love of the game. The suggestion that athletes should compete as individuals or in non-national teams, might be too much to hope for. But in the present organization of the Olympics there is far too much that encourages aggressive patriotism (爱国主义).
【小题1】According to the author, recent Olympic Games have ____.
A.created goodwill between the nations |
B.hardly showed any international friendship |
C.caused only false national pride |
D.led to more and more misunderstanding and hatred |
A.There should be no more hockey matches organized by the Federation. |
B.His team would no longer take part in international games. |
C.Hockey and the Federation are ruined by the unfair decisions. |
D.The Federation should be ended. |
A.too much patriotism was displayed in the incident |
B.the announcement to make the match last longer was wrong |
C.the appeal jury was too hesitant in making the decision |
D.The American team was right in receiving the silver medals |
A.The organization of the Olympic Games must be improved. |
B.Different teams often have disputes when fighting for the first place. |
C.Any team that has disrespectful behavior should be suspended. |
D.Athletes should compete as individuals. |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
Wolves travel in groups, and they perform almost all the other activities of their lives in the company of fellow wolves. This is one of the most important facts that modern science have learned about wolves and one of the things that most clearly explain their way of life.
The pack is usually a family group. It is made up of animals related to each other by blood. The centre of a pack is a pair of wolves----an adult male and female that have produced young. The other members of the pack are their offspring (后代): young wolves ranging in age from pups to two- and three-year-olds. Most packs have 6 or 7 members, although some may include as many as 15 wolves.
Relationships among creatures that live close together in groups are often very complex, and this is true of the ties that connect the members of a wolf pack. Scientific studies of captive(被捕获的) wolves and wolf packs in the wild have shown that many complex rules of behavior seem to govern the way that the animals relate to each other.
When wolf pups are born into a pack, one of the most important things they must learn is the “language” of the group, the method by which pack members keep in touch with each other, sharing information and communicating their feelings. Scientists have discovered that wolves have a very complex system of communication.
The most famous wolf sound is, of course, the howl, and it is a very important part of wolf language.
When people think about howling, they usually imagine a sad, lonely sound made by a wolf sitting all alone on a hilltop in the moonlight. However, this picture in most human beings’ mind is not completely true. Wolves howl at any time, not just at night, and they often howl together, not alone.
Group or chorus howling is another means by which the members of a wolf reaffirm(重申) their ties with each other and their closeness as a group. One wolf----often the male leader----will point its nose at the sky, open its mouth, and start to howl. Immediately the other members of the pack rush to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and join their voices to his. Each wolf howls on its own note so that a big chorus of slightly different sounds is produced.
Chorus howling often takes place before a wolf pack goes out to hunt. At the end of a successful hunt, the pack may also celebrate with a group howl. While wolves are on the track of prey(猎物),they are usually silent.
There are occasions when a wolf will howl by itself. This may happen when an animal is separated from the pack. Pack members seem to recognize each other’s voices and will keep responding to the howl of their wandering relative until the group is reunited.
Because howling is a sound that carries over a considerable distance, it is very useful in communications among separated members of a pack. Howling is also used when members of different packs have to get in touch with each other to pass on information about their locations and their purposes.
【小题1】What makes communication the most important part of wolves’ lives?
A.Living in packs | B.Hunting at night |
C.Occupying a large area | D.Finding fellows |
A.They leave the pack and live alone. |
B.They leave the pack to form packs of their own. |
C.They continue to live as part of the pack. |
D.They take over the leadership from their parents. |
A.3—4 | B.4---5 | C.6---7 | D.10---15 |
A.A baby crying from hunger |
B.A family having an argument |
C.A group of people singing at a concert |
D.A sports team cheering before a game |
A.Only during the night. | B.When separated from the pack |
C.When there is moonlight | D.While on their way to tracking prey |
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科目:高中英语 来源: 题型:阅读理解
The information below is taken from a dictionary page.
jaguar: n. a type of large, yellow-colored cat with black markings found in the southwestern region of the U. S. and in Central and South America.
jargon: 1. n. speech that doesn’t make sense.
2. n. an unknown language that seems strange or impossible to understand.
3. n. a language made up of two or more other languages: His jargon was a mixture of French and English.
4. n. the special vocabulary of a field or profession: Her report on computers was filled with jargon.
jaunt: 1. n. a trip taken for fun.
2. v. to go on a brief pleasant trip: We jaunted to the country last Saturday.
javelin: 1. n.. a spear(矛) most commonly used as weapon or in hunting.
2. n. a light metal or wooden spear that is thrown in track-and-field sport events.
3. n. the event in which a javelin is thrown.
4. v. to strike, as with a javelin.
jazz: 1. n. a type of music that originated in New Orleans and is characterized by rhythmic beats.
2. n. popular dance music influenced by jazz.
3. n. empty talk.
4. ad. of or like jazz: a jazz band, jazz records.
Jennet: n. a small Spanish horse.
jest: 1.n. thing said or done to cause amusement; joke.
2. (idiom) in jest: as a joke ; in fun; not seriously.
3.v.make jokes
【小题1】Which meaning of the word javelin is used in the sentence below?
At the competition, Jack drew his arm back and threw the javelin 50 yards.
A.Definition (定义) 1 | B.Definition 2 |
C.Definition 3 | D.Definition 4 |
A.Definition 1 | B.Definition 2 |
C.Definition 3 | D.Definition 4 |
A.rhythmic beats | B.a type of music |
C.a kind of dance | D.meaningless talk |
A.javelin | B.jest | C.jaunt | D.jargon |
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