2.　 What does the word "apprentice" in the second paragraph mean?

　　 A. Student. B. Clerk. C. Detective. D. Painter.

1. Why did the young man stand for a long time in front of a store? Because he was ______.

　　 A. asked to spy on the shopkeeper B. studying the shopkeeper C. portraying the shopkeeper D. going to be a shopkeeper

1. Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. From this sentence, we can see she was ______ that night. 　 A. tired B. having difficulties going to sleep 　 C. excited D. too busy to sleep 2. What does the writer mean by saying"…who found her voice in the small clubs of New York" in the first paragraph? 　 A. She once lost her voice and after some medical treatment in New York, she found her voice. 　 B. Her experiences in those clubs helped her realize she was a good singer. 　 C. She started to sing in those clubs. 　 D. Her experiences in those clubs helped her develop her singing style. 3. At the end of paragraph 3, the writer uses the description "wide-eyed" to show Norah was ______. 　 A. a girl with big eyes 　 B. very surprised 　 C. inexperienced 　 D. opening her eyes wide 4. Put the events listed below in the correct order. 　 a. Norah started learning the piano b. she won Student Music Awards 　 c. she studied Jazz piano music d. she sang in church choirs 　 e. she took a trip to New York 　 A. abcde B. dabce C. dcabe D. abdce 5. At the end of the last paragraph but two (倒数第二段), the writer mentions that "she got her break in 2001". What does it mean? 　 A. She got a rest that year. 　 B. She made some changes that year. 　 C. She reached a high point that year. 　 D. A lucky chance appeared and she made some achievement that year.

Passage 36　 Stories mirror society

A young man stood for a long time in front of a grocery store (杂货店). His eyes were fixed upon the busy shopkeeper: his laugh, his frown (皱眉头) and the way he chatted with the customers. Suddenly he got an idea. 　　 No, this is not a scene from a detective story. The young man was simply an apprentice (学徒) doing his homework. He had been asked to portray (描绘) the shopkeeper so that he could be easily recognized. And his work would be presented, not with a brush, but with words on paper. 　　 The young man was Guy de Maupassant, one of the greatest French short story writers to have ever lived. He practised this method of observation for a whole year under the guidance of his teacher, Gustave Flaubert (古斯塔夫·福楼拜), who was also a master of French literature (文学) in the 19th century. 　　 Maupassant's sharp observations later greatly contributed to his stories. Maupassant was brought up in Normandy (诺曼底) in northwest France. At the age of 20, he studied law in Paris for a short time and then served in the army during the Franco-Prussian War (普法战争). When he returned from battle, he worked as a civil servant for eight years. 　　 In 1880, he published his first short story "Ball of Fat" (《羊脂球》), which became one of his 300 works. 　　 Maupassant treated his subjects with simplicity, clarity, and objectivity (客观性). He was mainly inspired (产生灵感) by peasant life, the cruel war he experienced and life in Paris. 　　 His stories tend to be built around simple everyday events, which show people's hidden characteristics and mirror the truths of society. 　　 Later, Maupassant suffered from mental illness and he died in 1893 at the age of 43.

1. What does the fifth paragraph mean? 　A. The van Gogh museum will give exhibitions the whole year through. 　B. The van Gogh museum holds the biggest collection of his masterpieces. 　C. The van Gogh museum will host a big and long celebration for van Gogh this year. 　D. The exhibitions will be held in honour of van Gogh. 2. What does the word “figure” in the sixth paragraph mean? 　A. Man. 　B. Name. 　C. Number. 　D. Form. 3. Why did the writer cite (引用) a part of a letter written by van Gogh? 　A. To show van Gogh's skill. 　B. To show his style. 　C. To show that he was an emotional person. 　D. To show he was an unusual man.

Passage 35　　 Norah wins big at Grammy Awards

Norah Jones had a sleepless night on February 23. The 23-year-old American jazz singer, who found her voice in the small clubs of New York, dominated (统治) the 45th annual Grammy Awards - the music industry's most prestigious (赫赫有名的) award ceremony. 　　 She seemed as surprised as everyone else that her first album, "Come Away With Me", was such a big success. It won her the most wanted awards, including Album of the Year (年度最佳专辑), Song of the Year and Best New Artist. 　　 "I can't believe this, I feel really blessed and really lucky to have this year," said the wide-eyed girl at the ceremony. 　　 Jones grew up in Texas, US, with her mother. Her parents separated before she was born. She began singing in church choirs (唱诗班) at the age of five and started piano lessons two years later. 　　 At the age of 15, Jones entered the High School for the Performing Arts in Washington. She won Best Jazz Singer and Best Original Composition (最佳原创作品) at the 1996 and 1997 Student Music Awards. 　　 She had always enjoyed singing, but felt the piano would be a more solid foundation in life. So Jones chose to study jazz piano music at the University of North Texas for two years before taking a trip to New York city. 　　 The trip started out as a summer vacation. But Jones soon realized she wanted to stay for a while. "The music scene in New York is so huge and exciting. Everything opened up for me. I couldn't leave," she said. 　　 Jones became friends with local songwriters and was inspired (激励) to write her own songs. She began to sing and play the piano in a band. She got her break in 2001 and released "Come Away With Me" the following year. 　　 The album is a blend (融合) of jazz, country and folk-pop. It has now sold more than 6 million copies around the world and has won much praise from the music industry. "She makes an album that people will remember in 20 years," said American country singer Faith Hill.

　What is jazz?

　　　 Jazz is generally thought to have begun in New Orleans, US. It developed in the latter part of the 19th century from African work songs, songs of sorrow and hymns (赞美诗). The character of Jazz is spontaneous (自然的) and emotional. It is usually played by small bands made up of a cornet (短号), clarinet (单簧管), trombone (长号) and guitar.

3.　　　 What does the word in the tenth paragraph "weave" mean? A. Mix. B. Include. C. Play. D. Show.

Passage 34　 Artist's dream comes true after death

He lived his whole life as a poor man. His art and talent were recognized by almost no one. He suffered from a mental illness that led him to cut off part of his left ear in 1888 and to shoot himself two years later. 　　 But in his death, he achieved world fame. 　　 Today, Dutch (荷兰) artist Vincent van Gogh is recognized as one of the leading artists of all time. Postcards and posters of his paintings and drawings continue to sell like hot cakes. 　　 Now, 150 years after his birth on March 30, 1853, Zundert, the town of his birth, has made 2003 "The van Gogh Year" in his honour. 　　 And the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam (阿姆斯特丹), home to the biggest collection of his masterpieces, is marking the anniversary (周年纪念) with exhibitions throughout the year. 　　 "He is a big name like Einstein and Beethoven. He is such a great figure. We are always amazed by how popular he is and his popularity seems to be growing," said Andreas Bluehm, the museum's head of exhibitions. 　　 The museum draws around 1.3 million visitors every year. Some people enjoy the art and then learn about his life. Others are first interested in his life, which then helps them understand his art. 　　 Van Gogh was the son of a pastor (牧师). He left school when he was just 15. By the age of 27, he had already tried many jobs including an art gallery (画廊) salesman and a French teacher. Finally in 1880, he decided to begin his studies in art. 　　 His masterpieces　 including portraits (人物肖像), sunflowers and landscapes (风景) were produced in just 10 years. 　　 Van Gogh is famed for his ability to put his own emotions into his paintings and show his feelings about a scene. His style is marked by short, broad brushstrokes (笔画). 　 　　"Instead of trying to reproduce exactly what I have before my eyes, I use colour more freely, in order to express myself more forcibly," he wrote in a letter to his brother, Theo, in 1888. 　　 Van Gogh sold only one painting during his short life. He relied heavily on support from Theo, an art dealer who lived in Paris. 　　 But now his works are sold for millions of dollars. His "Portrait of Dr. Gachet" (《伽塞医生的肖像》) sold for US$89.5 million in 1990. It is the highest price ever paid for a painting. 　　 "I think his paintings are powerful and the brilliant colours in them are attractive to people," said Molly Anderson, a van Gogh fan.

2.　　　 It was the pianist's hope to ________ through his latest album. A. play the piano alongside traditional Chinese music instruments. B. celebrate the cultural meeting of east and west. C. create a world of quietness and mystery. D. interpret Chinese music in his own way.

1.　　　 What makes Richard Clayderman different from other musicians? A. He is called Prince of Romance. B. Pour Elise & Ballade Pour Adeline. C. East and West Symphony. D. His vibrant yet soft piano playing.

4. What does the story mainly talk about? A. Advantages and disadvantages of Esperanto. B. Men's dream of sharing the same language. C. Comparison of Esperanto and other languages like English and Chinese. D. The most successful planned language - Esperanto.

Passage 33　 World tunes

Beautiful music flows from his dancing hands and speaks a language for all people - young and old, rich and poor - to hear. It is a language of love and romance. 　　 With "Pour Elise" (《致爱丽丝》) and "Ballade Pour Adeline" 《水边的阿蒂丽娜》), French pianist Richard Clayderman is loved by millions all over the world. His lively, yet soft piano playing is his trademark. 　　 And now, he has mixed his music with the sounds of the East. Clayderman, with his blonde (金色的) hair and blue eyes, recently cooperated with China Broadcasting Chinese Orchestra (CBCO，中国广播民族乐团) to record his latest album "New Era" (《新时代》), which was released across the world last Wednesday. 　　 "I have been intoxicated (陶醉) by Chinese folk music. It's a treasure worthy of being introduced to the world. I hope my piano and interpretation (阐释) can bridge the West and the East," said the 49-year-old pianist. 　　 Some of the most famous folk music in China, including "Faraway Place" (《在那遥远的地方》) and "Kang Ding Love Song" (《康定情歌》), is interpreted by the pianist, who is also known as the "Prince of Romance". 　　 Clayderman has created a whirlwind of passion, which sweeps listeners off their feet and off to a faraway grassland. 　 　　And for the first time in his life, Clayderman plays the piano alongside traditional Chinese instruments such as the erhu, pipa and flute (笛子). 　　 "The magic erhu works very well with the piano and helps to create a sense of quietness and mystery in the peaceful beauty of the music." 　　 To record "Cicada" (《蝉之歌》), a folk song of the Dong ethnic group (侗族), the musician made several visits to the mountainous villages where the Dong people live in Yunnan Province. "Cicada", he says, is a conversation between the piano and erhu. It is also a communication between western and traditional Chinese music.

Clayderman is not the first western musician to be charmed by Chinese folk music. In 1992, Heinrich Schweizer, a composer (作曲家) in Switzerland, wrote the "East and West Symphony" (《东西之声交响乐》) to celebrate the cultural meeting of China and the West. His work weaves Chinese traditional folk songs with classical Western music to produce an original (原创的) orchestral sound. 　　 Traditional ways of life are disappearing in this fast developing world. So, combining the old with the new is important in keeping alive the great diversity (多样性) of cultures. "This cooperation with western music is an efficient way to promote Chinese folk music to the world," said Zhang Gaoxiang, vice-director of CBCO.

3. What is the basic difference between Esperanto and English? A. More people speak English than Esperanto. B. Esperanto words are easier to spell. C. Esperanto has fewer grammar rules. D. Esperanto is not supported by any country or culture.

2. What does the word “pursue” in the second paragraph mean? A. Realize. B. Work for. C. Be against. D. Follow.