I grew up in a small town. My father raised chickens and ran a construction company. I was barely 10 years old when my dad gave me the responsibility (责任) of feeding the chickens and cleaning up the stable. He believed it was important for me to have those jobs to learn responsibility. Then, when I was 22, I found a job in Natchbill at a country music club called the Natchbill Palace, I washed dishes and cooked from 4: 00 pm to 9: 00 pm and then went on stage and sang until 2:00 in the morning. It wasn’t long before I became known as a singing cook. I had been rejected so many times by record companies that it was hard not to be discouraged. One night, a woman executive (懂事) from a company named Warner Brothers Records came to hear me sing. When the show was over, we sat down and talked and after she left, I said to myself it was one more rejection. A few weeks later, my manager received a phone call — Warner Brothers wanted to sign me to a record deal. Soon after, I released my first record in June 1986. It sold over 2 million copies. My best efforts had gone into every job I’ve ever held. It was the sense of responsibility that made me feel like a man. Knowing that I had done my best filled me with pride. I still feel that way today, even though I have become a well-known singer.

　　 Why was the writer once known as the singing cook?

　　A. Because he was a cook at a country-music club.

　　B. Because he sang for guests while he worked as a cook.

　　C. Because he often sang while cooking.

　　D. Because he liked singing better than cooking.

　　 Who first recognized his talents and helped make his career successful?

　　A. Wamer Brothers.                        B. His manager.

　　C. His father.                                 D. A businesswoman.

　  What made the writer proud of himself?

　　A. His ability to live independently.

　　B. His sense of responsibility in whatever he did.

　　C. His courage in the face of rejections.

D. His hard work in his early days.

．— Do you think I should join the singing group, Mary?

— _____ .If I were in your shoes, I certainly would.

Do you love American country music? If you do, come to Nashville. It’s the home of American country music.

Nashville is the capital city of the state of Tennessee. Here you don’t have to go to the big auditoriums(音乐厅) to enjoy the country music. In the open air restaurants or on the streets, you can always hear the beautiful and sweet sounding folk music. All the singers are young and they play their guitars while they sing. The songs they sing are so touching(动人) that, if you listen attentively, you can feel they are singing with their souls rather than with their voices.

Shops selling music records and tapes can be found everywhere in Nashville. Many records are made by www..comfamous singers and they are sent to many countries all over the world.

The folk songs most of the singers sing come form the rural areas in the southern United States. The songs often describe those days to situations and the feeling of the country people. They often sing in praises of heroism(英雄) and true love.

1. From the passage we know Nashville is ________.

A. a village 　             B. a big city   C. a small town 　             D. a capital city

2. To enjoy the country music, you can go to ________.

A. the big auditoriums   B. the open air restaurants    C. the streets 　D. All of the above

3. According to the passage which of the following statements is not true?

A. Shops that sell music records and tapes can be found everywhere in Nashville.

B. The folk songs can impress you deeply

C. Not all records are made by famous singers

D. The folk songs only sing in praises of heroism and true love.

4. The passage is mainly about ________.

A. Nashville 　B. American young people   C. pop singers 　       D. the country music

Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend. Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel. They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that.

　Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning. During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm. They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire（篝火）, singing and dancing till late into the night.

　Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning. So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o’clock in the afternoon. They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn’t want to miss her plane back home. Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friend.

1.Jenny went to New York________.

2.How did Jenny get to New York?

3.Where did Jenny and her friends go on Saturday?

4.When did Jenny go back home?

Jenny went to visit her friends in New York last weekend．Her friends met her at the airport on Friday afternoon and drove her to the hotel．They had dinner at a Chinese restaurant and went to see a film after that．

　　Jenny and her friends set out early on Saturday morning for a farm and stayed there until Sunday morning．During their stay, they went fishing and swimming in the small river on the farm．They played football in the field and enjoyed a big meal around a camp fire（篝火）, singing and dancing till late into the night．

　　Nobody could get up early on Sunday morning．So when they got back to New York City, it was about three o’clock in the afternoon．They drove right to the airport because Jenny didn’t want to miss her plane back home．Jenny only stayed in New York for two nights but she had a great time with her friends．

1.Jenny went to New York________．

2.How did Jenny get to New York?

3.When did Jenny go back home?