In the past, going to a piano teacher was the only way to learn how to play the piano. You could have one lesson a week. If you didn’t have private(个人的) lessons, you could still learn piano, but you would have to learn it by yourself. This was easy for some, but very difficult for most. However, with technology as it is today, there is at last another way that you can take piano lessons. You can take an online course.
An online course can save you lots of money. If a private lesson costs 30 or 40 dollars per week, just think about how quickly that adds up. You can take a complete online course in piano by spending a small part of the money that you would pay for taking weeks of private lessons. Also, private lessons are only usually one hour per week. If you have questions during the rest of the week, or if you forget something that your teacher said, you will have to wait for your next lesson to continue your learning. However, online piano courses are quite different.
With an online piano course, you can work at your own pace(进度). You can also take as many lessons per week as you’d want, or go back and listen to your last lesson if you have forgotten anything. Most adults who want to learn how to play the piano enjoy being able to go back and listen to lessons they watched before. It can give you a good idea of what you were doing right, what you were doing wrong, and what you should be doing before the next lesson.
Of course, if you need someone to sit beside you and give you instant feedback(及时反馈) while you are playing, you are not suggested to choose an online course. But most adult learners think they can get their own type of feedback by watching the course again and again.
【小题1】       is not mentioned in the passage to learn to play the piano.
A.Going to a piano teacher        B. Asking experts for information   C. Teaching oneself
【小题2】Going to a piano teacher is much more        than having an online piano course.
A. expensive                   B. convenient                  C. interesting
【小题3】If you choose an online piano course, you can          .
A. ask questions whenever you want          
B. watch the lessons whenever you’d like  
C. get some advice while you are playing the piano.
【小题4】Most adults like to go back and listen to the lessons again because         .
A. they needn’t spend any extra money          
B. they can ask some questions   
C. they can know what they were doing right, what they were doing wrong
【小题5】How many advantages of an online piano course have been introduced in the passage?
A. 2                           B. 3                         C. 4

It was a cold January morning. A man sat at a big subway station in Washington D.C. and started to play the    36    . He played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time, since it was the rush hour, lots of people went   37    the station and most of them were on their way to     38     .

Three minutes went by and a middle-aged man noticed him. He began to     39     his pace (步伐) and stopped for a few seconds and then     40   away. A minute later, the violinist     41      his first dollar tip from a woman who threw the money without   42        walking. A few minutes later,     43      stopped to listen to him, but the man looked at his watch and     44    . He was afraid to be late for work.

During the 45 minutes the violinist played, only 6 people stopped and     45       for a while. About 20 gave him money but continued to walk at their normal pace. He     46      $32. When he finished playing, no one noticed it.

No one knew this,     47    the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the best musicians in the world. Two days before his playing in the subway, Joshua Bell    48     at a theater in Boston and the seats averaged (平均为) $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell’s playing in the station was    49    by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment. One of the possible conclusions from this experience could be:   50     we do not have a moment to stop to enjoy the beautiful music, how many other good things are we missing?

Your peers are people your age or close to it. Besides close friends, your peers include other children you know who are the same age------like people in your grade, sports team, or neighborhood. Peers may have a positive influence on each other and play important roles in each other’s lives:
Positive examples
Peers set plenty of good examples for each other. Having peers who do well in school or do their best in a sport can influence you to work hard to realize your dream, too. Peers who are kind and helpful can influence you to build these qualities in yourself. Even peers you’ve never met can be role models(模范). For example, watching someone your age compete in the Olympics or give a piano concert might inspire you to go after a dream of your own.
Feedback(反馈) and advice
Your peers listen and give you feedback as you try out new ideas. They can help you make decisions, too: what courses to take, whether to get your hair cut or let it grow, or how to solve a problem. Peers often give each other good advice. Your peers will be quick to tell you when they think you’re making a mistake or doing something dangerous.
Socializing（交际）
Being with your peers----such as classmates or teammates----gives you a chance to learn how to make friends and deal with disagreements with people.
New experiences
Your peers might get you involved(参与) in clubs, sports, or volunteer groups. Your world would be far less rich without peers encouraging you to try some new food for the first time, or listen to a CD you have never heard before.
【小题1】The first paragraph is mainly about     .

Your peers are people your age or close to it. Besides close friends, your peers include other children you know who are the same age------like people in your grade, sports team, or neighborhood. Peers may have a positive influence on each other and play important roles in each other’s lives:

Positive examples

Peers set plenty of good examples for each other. Having peers who do well in school or do their best in a sport can influence you to work hard to realize your dream, too. Peers who are kind and helpful can influence you to build these qualities in yourself. Even peers you’ve never met can be role models(模范). For example, watching someone your age compete in the Olympics or give a piano concert might inspire you to go after a dream of your own.

Feedback(反馈) and advice

Your peers listen and give you feedback as you try out new ideas. They can help you make decisions, too: what courses to take, whether to get your hair cut or let it grow, or how to solve a problem. Peers often give each other good advice. Your peers will be quick to tell you when they think you’re making a mistake or doing something dangerous.

Socializing（交际）

Being with your peers----such as classmates or teammates----gives you a chance to learn how to make friends and deal with disagreements with people.

New experiences

Your peers might get you involved(参与) in clubs, sports, or volunteer groups. Your world would be far less rich without peers encouraging you to try some new food for the first time, or listen to a CD you have never heard before.

1.The first paragraph is mainly about     .

A．who your peers are

B．how to find peers whose interests are similar to yours

C．the negative influence of peers on each other

D．the difference between your close friends and your peers

2.The author makes  points of how peers have a positive influence on each other.

A．three            B．four              C．five              D．six

3.With which of the following may the author agree?

A．Peers you have never met cannot influence you.

B．You can ask your friends to make a decision for you.

C．You should not play with peers you don’t like.

D．Your peers may cause you to experience new things.

4.The author mentions that good role models can influence you to      .

① work hard to realize your dream

② do something dangerous

③ build good qualities in yourself

④ have fewer friends

A．①③             B．②④             C．②③             D．③④

5.From the fourth paragraph, we can learn that being with your peers gives you a chance to       .

A．influence other people

B．play an important role

C．learn how to make more friends

D．improve your English skills